Archives for July 2011

July 11, 2011

Register to win this age defying Bio-Blends Galvanic Wand from Gerda Spillmann!

Everyone knows the importance of taking care of their skin! Well this little Bio-Blends Galvanic Wand will provide you with the ability, in a non-invasive way, to get your skin care products deeper into your skin encouraging the stimulation of Collagen and Elastin, helping with the reduction of fine lines, wrinkles, and puffiness while increasing your skin’s firmness and, as a result, a more youthful appearance!

Can you believe that the galvanic current has been a part of facial treatments by aestheticians for over 70 years!

Now you can have your own very portable Galvanic Wand to use in the privacy of you own home, and be able to take it with you when traveling.

It’s so easy to use as It fits right in the palm of your hand. There are very easy directions on the box of the Bio-Blends Galvanic Wand.

You simply hold it in your hand and press the button on the front of the wand till the light goes on. You then have your choice of 5 settings of frequency that can be changed easily by pressing the same button that turns on the wand. Make sure your pointer finger is also touching the metal on the back of the Galvanic Wand which will complete the circuit and allow the current to travel as you use it on your face.

Now you are all set to go! Press the tip of the Wand on your skin and you’ll hear a soft beep. You then move the wand about 1/4 of an inch to the next area of your skin and keep repeating the process. I use it all over my face, concentrating on special areas of concern like my forehead, crows feet, areas from my nose to my mouth, and around my jawline.

What’s nice about this is that you are in control ! I always recommend, as with anything new, to start on a low frequency as you become accustomed to using the Galvanic Wand. The instructions recommend that you avoid using it directly on the your eye lids!

There really is no sensation, but a slight tingling that is actually very revitalizing for me! Remember you can always use a lower setting if you are sensitive.

To shut off the Galvanic Wand just hold the button down for about 3-5 seconds!

I love the way my skin looks after I use the Bio-Blends Galvanic wand. I’ve been using it a couple of months now, and really notice a more well rested, and healthy color and glow to my skin.

Now here is the good news. Gerda Spillmann is giving one lucky person a Bio-Blends Galvanic Wand. All you have to do is go to our feature page at: www.itsaglamthing.com Scroll down the feature page and look for this coupon:

But, as long as you’re here, why don’t you just go to : http://itsaglamthing.com/winit-9.php and register right now……

The Bio-Blends Galvanic Wand from Gerda Spillmann gets a 5-Star rating from me! I know you will really enjoy it as well!

Take a moment to visit : www.gerdaspillmann.com and see all of the wonderful products that are available for your face and body. Also, read about Madame Spillmann who is one of the top innovative cosmetic mavens with over 60 years in the beauty business and internationally acclaimed!

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July 9, 2011

Tribute to Betty Ford-A True Trail Blazer!

Tribute to Betty Ford

It was sad news to hear of the passing of Betty Ford earlier today. Elizabeth Ann Bloomer Warren Ford (April 8, 1918 – July 8, 2011) better known as Betty Ford was the wife of former United States President Gerald R. Ford. She served as First Lady of the United States from 1974 to 1977. As a First Lady, she was a force to be reckoned with, and actively involved in social policies of the day. She helped restore dignity to the office and perhaps not since Eleanor Roosevelt has a First Lady ever had more of an impact in history in culture.

To say that the 1960’s and 1970’s were turbulent times in United States history is probably an understatement. I was old enough to be aware of things and events, but way too young to fully grasp the meaning of a lot of it. Between the Vietnam War, the Civil Rights Movement, The Equal Rights Movement, Watergate, etc…..the times they were-a-changing. Thankfully people like Betty Ford were in a position to bring about change, and were brave enough to do so as well!  It couldn’t have been that easy! Her strength and courage to buck-the- trend and be candid and outspoken I am sure helped positively alter the lives of many, whether it be in woman’s rights, cancer awareness, drug dependency.

Her 1974 mastectomy weeks after becoming First Lady, helped raise awareness for the breast cancer.  Her openness and willingness to talk about her disease raised visibility to a disease that America had been reluctant to talk about. As First Lady, she knew that the experience she was going through would be news. Rather than shy away, she brought her plight public, knowing that by amplifying public awareness, she could help educate and save women from the disease. Breast cancer had now gone from being hush-hushed to a problem that needed to not only be talked about but solved. Women needed to become more aware, cures and preventions needed to be found. And women with the disease needed to have help understanding, dealing with, and support in fighting it. A breast cancer survivor, she became a pioneer in bringing the disease to the forefront.

As First Lady, she was outspoken, candid and was a passionate supporter of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), lobbying state legislatures to ratify the amendment and openly battled against those who were opponents.  Even after her time as First Lady, she worked tirelessly for ERA ratification. She led marches, parades, rallies and helped rejuvenate the ERA movement by inspiring women throughout the country and was appointed the co-chair of the ERA Countdown Campaign in 1981 (Alan Alda was the other chair! )

In addition to being a leader in the Woman’s Movement of the 1970’s,  she was Pro-Choice on abortion, and fought for equal pay for women.  This mother of four, had a voice and was willing to use it on issues from feminism, sex, drugs, abortion, gun control, premarital sex, and even the benefit of  psychiatric treatment…..she was well ahead of her time.  She helped clear the way for future First Ladies and women everywhere.

If this wasn’t enough, she also raised awareness of addiction when she announced her long running battle with alcoholism and pills in the 1970’s. After her release from the Long Beach Naval Hospital, she and Leonard Firestone created the Betty Ford Center, which offers inpatient, outpatient, and day treatment for alcohol and other drug addictions. Betty Ford’s goal of creating a treatment center that not only emphasized treatment, but offered prevention and education programs for family and children was realized.  She again realized that knowledge and awareness was power, and co-authored two books…one in 1987, chronicling her treatment  Betty: A Glad Awakening,  and another in 2003, Healing and Hope: Six Women from the Betty Ford Center Share Their Powerful Journeys of Addiction and Recovery.

My thoughts go out to her children, not only for having lost their mother, but to thank them for sharing her with the rest of the world. Betty Ford, by allowing us to see her strengths as well as her flaws, made sure we all learned from them. She helped create a better world. May her legacy live on as proudly as the woman who created it!

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July 9, 2011

Melinda Lombardi Works the Life Preservers Project

Hi there avid readers of Kathy Hodge,

This is Melinda Lombardi, a make-up artist here in New York reporting on a fabulous project that uses the power of fashion to help raise funds and awareness for sex slave trafficking that unbelievably exists here in New York City.

So I got a call from a friend asking whether or not I would offer my make-up services for a charity fashion show.  Immediately I asked. What is it for?

‘“The Life Preservers Project is a response to local charities such as GEMS and RestoreNY. They desperately need funds to help service the young women they are helping escape from underground sex trafficking in New York. As our project developed, we quickly discovered human trafficking is a much greater local problem than we first realized. Many think human and sexual trafficking is an issue affecting “others” in Developing Nations, when in fact it’s happening on a larger scale in the largest cities here in the USA. Through my contacts as a legal recruiter at PeterSan Legal Staffing, we were able to begin reaching out to local businesses, Sex trafficking law firms, the New York Fashion Business Improvement District to raise funds and awareness.” (Shana Pederson, Founder and President) (http://lifepreserversproject.org/index.html)

I am a woman that believes in equality and empowerment for all.  This is a charity I could not refuse to help. I love the idea behind the project. “Preserving one life.. One artist at a time!” This is exactly what happened at Nikki nightclub on the east side, June 28 2011.

The Life Preservers Project teamed up with fashion designers Jensen Martin, make-up artists, photographers, videographers, some glamorous ladies and men for a night of fun and fashion. JensenMartin™ recently launched the revolutionary new JensenMartin™ Collection of exclusive, exquisitely crafted Men’s and Women’s Outerwear, Sportswear and Accessories.   These innovative, flattering and versatile creations are destined to become the new “must haves” for educated fashionistas everywhere.

(www.jensenmartin.com)

 Hair, Make-up, Camera’s, Catwalk, Action! 

The night was a huge success.  People from all over the city came, Nikki’s nightclub was buzzing with excitement and anticipation. Money and awareness were raised. The models looked fabulous and the fashion was classy and timeless.  Most importantly a message was told and heard! “Freedom and choice for all!”

 For more on Melinda, check out her website www.makemeupmelinda.com and see my blog of December 28, 2010.

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July 7, 2011

One lucky person will win an autographed copy of Brenda Novak’s new book INSIDE, and a limited edition silk designer scarf by Hayden-Harnett with a romantic passage from INSIDE !

I had the opportunity to not only meet, but interview New York Times Best Selling Author, Brenda Novak and her editor, Paula Eykelhof, just before the launch of Brenda’s newest book INSIDE. We are featuring that interview on www.itsaglamthing.com right now, and I’m also going to include it in this article for you to enjoy.

We are very excited to offer one lucky winner not only an autographed copy of INSIDE, but a lovely, limited edition silk designer scarf by Hayden-Harnett with a romantic passage from INSIDE. The scarf has a retail value of $120.00, and that is truly exceptional, but along with an autographed book from Brenda Novak… Now that is priceless!!

You may enter to win at either www.itsaglamthing.com or right here at: http://itsaglamthing.com/winit-6.php

I’d also like to invite you to go to www.brendanovak.com and find out more about INSIDE. In fact, you will even be able to read the first chapter of the book online.

I promise that once you read that chapter you won’t be able to wait to get your copy of INSIDE.

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July 6, 2011

Happy Birthday to His Holiness The Dalai Lama

Tenzin Gyatso, His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, Tibet’s spiritual leader turns 76 today. The Nobel Peace Prize Winner (1989) is certainly one of the most spiritually influential people in the world today. He has spent his lifetime not only advocating the plight of the Tibetan community (he has been exiled since 1959), but promoting inter-religious harmony, pleading for world peace, and promoting human rights.

Regardless of any political or religious views that I may have, I have always respected and admired the Dalai Lama. Look at any picture of the man and what do you see…..Yes, he is a charismatic man, but there always seems to be a sense of inner peace, acceptance, gentleness, happiness, playfullness and tranquility that I admire the most. While I strive to bring these qualities to my daily life, I must admit, it is a struggle! Hopefully I can learn by his example!

In honor of his birthday I would like to share some of his quotes on happiness:

  • The purpose of existence is to seek happiness.
  • Happiness is determined more by one’s state of mind than external events.
  • Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions.
  • If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.
  • If you maintain a feeling of compassion, loving kindness than something automatically opens your inner door. Through that, you can communicate much more easily with other people. And that feeling of warmth creates a kind of openness.
  • Our feelings of contentment are strongly influenced by our tendency to compare.
  • We don’t need more money, we don’t need greater success or fame, we don’t need the perfect body or even the perfect mate-right now at this moment, we have a mind, which is all the basic equipment we need to achieve complete happiness.
  • Inner peace is the ultimate source of happiness.
  • The turning-toward happiness as a valid goal and the conscious decision to seek happiness in a systematic manner can profoundly change the rest of our lives.

  May His Holiness and you have a happy, peaceful and inspirational day!

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July 1, 2011

How Does Kiehl’s Celebrate their 160 th Birthday?

By Opening a Spa and Giving Away $160,000 to Charities…….

                                                                                             Kiehl’s Spa

Kiehl’s………a beauty junkie’s dream store if ever there was! Whenever I find myself in the neighborhood of 13th and 3rd, a visit to the flagship store is a must. Founded 160 years ago, it is a NYC institution! What began as an old-world apothecary store has turned into a beauty mega-brand. The flagship store pays homage to its humble beginnings. The chandeliers set the tone and transport you back in time. You can see Kiehl’s (www.kiehls.com) incredible journey with a time line that shares the Kiehl’s story, complete with original bottles, pictures, historical events, and new product launches.

Their products are formulated with the most unique natural ingredients in the world. Their line encompasses skin care, hair, body, make-up, scent, baby and a men’s line. The white-coated staff are all extremely knowledgeable. They perfectly exemplify Kiehl’s belief of combining customer service, with education about their products and finding the right fit. I tend to vacation at extreme temperatures, and a trip to Kiehl’s before a trip is a must to stock up on products have been proven to work at -40 to over 100 degrees (there’s a reason you see pictures of the Mt. Everest climbers with their Kiehl’s products!)  A visit to Kiehl’s allows me to drool at the motorcycles, (some of the best vintage bikes ever!), grab a snack at the bar, get refills on my favorite products (Crème de Corps has been all over the globe!), and leave armed with some samples of things to try. 

Kiehl’s was bought in 2000 by L’Oreal, mainly because there were so many orders they needed to expand to keep up with demand! Prior to L’Oreal, Kiehl’s advertising was mainly word of mouth. L’Oreal has remained true to Kiehl’s and respected their decision to remain a company with old-fashioned values.  Why fix something that isn’t broken!

This July, Kiehl’s will be opening it’s first-ever spa. Spa 1851 will be located at 157 East 64 Street and can be reached by calling (888) SPA-1851. The spa which is set to open mid-July, will have a separate entrance, a men’s grooming lounge, and have three treatment rooms. It will feature Kiehl’s products, and there will be treatments for skin, hair and body. Keeping with Kiehl’s commitment for the environment, it is eco-friendly.  For those of us who love Kiehl’s products, it surely will become a mainstay!

Kiehl’s also has a long standing commitment to philanthropy. Make sure you check out www.kiehlsgives.com and help them distribute $160,000 among 24 charities around for the world. View the short videos from Kiehl’s Global Ambassadors, (Julianne Moore for Children, Pharrell Williams for the Environment, Scissor Sisters for Aids Research) and vote for the cause that means the most to you. Keep going back and vote until August 31, 2011. It’s a wonderful way to help them celebrate their 160th birthday!

Excellent products, outstanding customer service, commitment to philanthropy-there is a reason Kiehl’s is 160 years young!

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