Ponytail Wednesday: How low can you go??

Happy Leap Day everyone!

I hope you are enjoying your extra 24 hours.  Today feels like the original Ponytail Wednesday from back in high school.  I managed to shower and put my hair right up into a wet ponytail.  Talk about a lazy Wednesday morning.

Today's pony is the low pony.  As you can see in the pictures there are different ways that you can rock this look.

Photo from here

1. For short hair with lots of layers:  Start this look with wet hair.  This is to help hold your shorter layers in place.  If you feel just having wet hair is not enough hold reach for your super hold styling gel and hair spray and throw your hair back into a low chic pony.  There is nothing a little styling gel and hair spray cannot fix.  
2. Slicked back pony: Pull your hair back in a tight ponytail.  Add the curls before or after you pull your hair back.  If you are going for a more sleek look keep the pony straight and through it over your shoulder.  
3. Low Pony with a wrap: To duplicate this look, take a section of hair from below the ponytail and wrap it around the hair tie and secure it underneath with a bobby pin.  Leave a few pieces of hair down on the sides for added fun.  Don't forget to add a small poof on your crown for extra lift. 

I hope you enjoyed today's post.  Stay tuned for my upcoming post "9 ways to glam up your wardrobe".  I should have this post out in a few days.  Have a fantastic day.  Be Fierce, Be Fabulous, Be You and remember, nice girls always finish first.  

BrittneeNoel 

Monday Morning Nonsense

Good Morning bloggers!

Today is this type of day:

Photo from here

I'm currently sitting in my second class of the day wishing I was still fast asleep in bed.  This weekend my body decided it was time to catch a cold.  So here I am struggling with a sore throat, stuffy/runny nose and an on and off headache.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I start to feel better soon!

I was skimming through Pinterest in my first class this morning (I know I'm a great student- HAHA) and I found a few cute things I wanted to share with all of you.  Hopefully it will help us get rid of the Monday morning blues.  

Photo from here

Did you ever have an Egg Baby project back in middle school?  I saw this picture and immediately thought of 8th grade and the fun times I had with my Egg Baby.  I wish I had a picture to share with all of you.  I can't even remember her name... what kind of Egg mommy am I?

Picture from here

Look at this wonderful Easter center piece made of Peeps and Gerber Daisies.  This picture brightened up my day and put a smile on my face.  I love peeps and Gerber Daisies.  I couldn't have thought of a better way to make a fun and cheerful center piece.  

Picture from here

How can your heart not melt from looking at this little guy.  This makes me miss Cooper.  I'm sure he is currently laying in his bed fast asleep if he is being good.  Unfortunately, he also has his days when he is bad.  If today is a bad day, I'm sure he has the toilet paper strung out all over the living room or he has taken papers off of the kitchen counter.  Regardless of his craziness, we love him to pieces!  Do any of you have a dog that is mischievous when you aren't home? 

Picture from here

Here is a cute way to help make your weekly goals look cute and fun.  Make sure your goals are attainable to help keep you on track!  Also you might try adding a completion date to your goals.  What are some of your goals this week? 

Start the day off right and make it a great day.  Set attainable goals and do something for yourself today.  Be Fierce, Be Fabulous, Be You and remember nice girls always finish first!

BrittneeNoel 

Your Cell Phone & Your Acne

Hey everyone!

I bet you are wondering what your cell phone and your acne have in common.  This is something I personally just learned and thought it would be a useful blog topic that most may be interested in.  

Picture from here

Did you know that your cell phone can be a main cause for black heads, blemishes or full on breakouts?  Think about it for a second.  During the day you place your phone in your handbag, on the desk for class, or maybe you drop it on the ground.  Each time you do these things your phone picks up more and more bacteria… Gross right!!?

Here’s another fun fact:  Dermatologists can usually tell which ear your hold your phone up to when you are talking on the phone!  I know I would be freaked out if my Dr. told me “Oh I also noticed you hold your phone up to your right ear when you are on the phone”.  AWKWARD!  

So do your face a favor and take action against the bacteria that is coming into contact with your face.  Right now as you are reading this reach for a cotton ball and put rubbing alcohol on it or a Lysol wipe and clean off your phone.  Try to add this into your nightly routine.  Right after you wash your makeup off of your face grab your phone and disinfect if for the next day.  If you are someone who breaks out in the cheek area, I bet you will see a huge difference in your face by doing this. 

If you have any other acne tips and tricks leave them in the comments below.  I know I would love to hear about them.  Also check out this post for a few more of my tips about keeping your face clean.

Make it a great day!  Be Fierce, Be Fabulous, Be You and remember, nice girls always finish first!

BrittneeNoel

Guest Post: You can look & feel great without breaking the bank!

Guest Post

Hey Nice Girls! 

Today’s Guest Post is from my Twitter friend Catherine (@CathInSeattle).  She was nice enough to talk about a few of her favorite beauty tips, and things that have been working for her.  I hope you enjoy her post.  Also, she is really excited about this blog so leave her some love in the comments below and I will make sure to get them over to her.  Make it a great day!  Be Fierce, Be Fabulous, Be You and remember nice girls always finish first!

So without further ado, please welcome Catherine to the All American Nice Girl Blog:

First, I use a daily cleanser called Cetaphil daily facial cleanse followed by Cetaphil moisturizing lotion.  These products make my skin feel clean and good.  I use twice per day, in the morning and evening.  (Brittnee has personally used Cetaphil and loves it!  She highly recommends these products to you) Twice a week, I use a product by Botanics called Organic Face Smoothing Polish.  

Make-up - when I was going thru chemo, of course I lost all of my hair including brows, so finding products such as brow pencils were challenging to say the least.  I didn't want to look any worse then I felt.  So!  I found two products that I love and use to this day.  My favorites for brows are: 

Brows- It Cosmetics Brow Power Universal Brow Pencil Duo - I really like this product because it's so easy to use and looks completely natural, no matter what your skin tone or hair color is.  It's retractable so it will last a long time.  Also, it comes with a brush on the other end to help define the brows.

Brows - Tarte Amazonian Clay Waterproof HD Fine Line Brow Duo - I like this product as well, it comes in several different shades.  This product also has a brush to help define your brows.

Foundation - Tarte Amazonian Clay Full Coverage Foundation SPF 15 w/ Brush - this is the best foundation I have ever used!  Again, looks and feels not only amazing, but truly natural.  This product comes in several shades.  The brush is thick, so the coverage is great.

Mascara - Tarte Amazonian Clay Infused Volumizing Mascara - love this product!!  Really lengthens your lashes and looks great!

I've read some beauty product reviews online, and it always comes down to what works for you and your budget. 

All the best,
Catherine 

*Text in pink ink is Brittnee’s personal opinions and thoughts*

Ponytail Wednesdays- Topsy Tail

Happy Ponytail Wednesday Topsy Tail style!

I've been wearing a Topsy Tail on the days where I am short on time and still looking for a more fancy hairstyle.  This is a great way to look put together without putting a lot of time into your hair.

This hair style is possible with or without the Topsy Tail tool.  However, if you are in the market for one this is what it looks like.

Here

Check out the original commercial for the Topsy Tail:

Let me know in the comments below if you love this hair style.  Be on the look out for more Ponytail Wednesday's.  Be Fierce, Be Fabulous, Be You and remember, nice girls always finish first.

BrittneeNoel

Monday Morning Tunes

Hey everyone!!!  

I know this morning when my alarm went off I was dreading the day.  However, after a good workout and finishing an assignment in advance I feel a lot better today.  

I've been singing Monday Monday and Manic Monday all morning for some reason.  I thought it would be fun to share my Monday tunes with all of you!

Manic Monday  

Monday Monday

I hope you all have an amazing week.  Make sure to check back later this week for a Guest Post from my Twitter friend Catherine.  Make it a great day!  Be Fierce, Be Fabulous, Be You and remember, nice girls always finish first!


BrittneeNoel

Friday, Oh Friday!

Hey Everyone!

Friday is finally here!  I hope you all have a fantastic weekend!  I cannot wait to sleep in tomorrow!  There is nothing better then waking up on a Saturday without having to set an alarm.

Make sure to check back on Monday for more posts!  I have a fun idea for a Valentines Day post for all of us single people out there!  :)

Remember to make a To Do List for the weekend.  I promise you will be more productive.  Be Fierce, Be Fabulous, Be You and remember, nice girls always finish first.

Here's to a FABULOUS weekend!
BrittneeNoel

Ponytail Wednesdays

Happy Ponytail Wednesday!

My mom came up with the phrase Ponytail Wednesday back when I was in high school because I would always wear a ponytail on Wednesdays.  I tried to look my best Monday and Tuesday but by the time Wednesday rolled around, I was tired of the whole hair routine – the washing, drying, products, brushes, curling irons, flat irons, hair spray!  By Wednesday I had had enough and could only manage a pony.  The midweek reprieve was usually enough to get me back on track for the rest of the week so by Thursday I was back to the washing and drying and products and brushes and curling irons…you get the picture.

I thought it would be fun to bring back Ponytail Wednesday here on the All American Nice Girl Blog.  Posted below are a few pictures of different ways to wear your hair up or in a ponytail on days when you do not feel like the washing and drying and products and brushes...like me on any given Wednesday.

Knot Pony

Found here

The Fun Bun 

Click here to see this look

Three Twisted Buns

Click here to get further instructions on this look.

Let me know in the comments below if you have a day like my Ponytail Wednesday.  Also, let me know if you try any of these hairstyles and let me know if you would like more of these posts!

Be Fierce, Be Fabulous, Be You and remember, nice girls always finish first!

BrittneeNoel 

February Challenge- Donate to give back

February Challenge 

Hey everyone!

Today’s post is not focused on makeup, shoes or even shopping.  Today’s post is all about giving back to your community! 

Have a heart and give back this month!

A few weeks ago I came up with an idea of having a monthly challenge where I would challenge you to do something simple every month.  I wasn’t planning on starting it until next month however after listening to my favorite boys over at Under-Review Internet Radio and their special guest Heather Robinson (Follow her on Twitter: @MrsRobinsonNJ) I knew it was time to start the monthly challenge posts. 

This month I challenge you to clean out a spot in your house and give back by donating gently used items that are laying around your house that you no longer use.

Since I graduate in May I will be redoing my room in preparation for me to move home.  In order to paint my room I need to be able to get most of the items out of my room.  With that being said the underneath of my bed is screaming for help!  I have duffle bags full of old book bags, purses and who knows what else I have crammed into those things.  I plan on pulling everything out from underneath my bed (I’m sure there will be stuff seeping into the hallway and out of windows!).  I will be going through everything to decide what I need and what is able to be donated.  I will only be keeping the things I find I truly need.  Needless to say, the Goodwill store will soon be stocked with tons of cute bags and purses. 

Whether you clean out your closet, your bookshelf, underneath your bed, or maybe your basement find items that you are able and willing to donate.  This is not only a great way to give back to others it is a great way to organize those small spaces in your house where we all hide our old stuff.

Where are you going to find your gently used items?  Leave a comment below and let me know if you are going to participate in this challenge.  If you do, take a picture of everything you donate and email the picture to me at allamericannicegirl@yahoo.com.  I will do a follow up blog post and post all of the pictures of donated items that I receive.  Let’s see how many items we can donate this month. 

The challenge is on!  Be fierce, Be fabulous, Be you and remember, nice girls always finish first. 

All my love,

BrittneeNoel    

Picture found here

Blogs I follow

Hey Nice Girls!

Hopefully you had a great Monday and an awesome start to your week!  I thought it might be fun to share with you the blogs I follow and read on a daily basis.  I tend to find a lot of the blogs I follow through Pinterest.  Let me know in the comments about the other blogs you follow.  I am always looking for a fun and energetic blog to read.

Here are the 8 blogs I follow:


The Nest Effect
a lovely little blog
Between U & Me
Fab Fatale
cupcakes and cashmere
NAM Blog by Breanne Maples
NAM Blog by Tiffany Saylor
Brandy Wendler

Also, please leave a few blog requests in the comment section.  I would really like to post more on topics you would be interested in reading about.  I cannot wait to see what you come up with.  Be fierce, Be fabulous, Be you and remember, nice girls always finish first.

BrittneeNoel

Picture found here

New Month. New You.

Hey Everyone!

I’m sure you have all heard the sayings “There is not enough time in the day” or “I need more days in a week/year”.  Well if you are one of these people, YOU ARE IN LUCK!  With this year being leap year, you now have an extra day this month to get things done!

I know I have wished for more hours in a day, more days in a week and more weeks in a month.  Sometimes it seems so stressful when you look at all of the work you need to accomplish in a day.  I know because I’ve been there!  However, I have figured out a few ways to help myself stay on track and be able to finish all of my daily and weekly tasks. 

Here are two things I do:

Personal Planner

Academic Planner

-    I use two, yes two planners.  I have one for academic purposes and one for my personal life/ appointments.  This has really helped me to stay on track with classes and helps me to remember my appointments and events.  After I have completed the task or after the event is over I check it off.  I love checking things off of my To-Do List- it’s so satisfying!

-   I also use a small dry erase board in my room to plan out my week for classes (when tests are and when assignments are to be turned in).  When it comes to the dry erase board I usually cross things off because I hate to look at my wall and see a huge list of things to do.  The more things that are crossed off, the better the day I have!

I’m still trying to decide what I am going to do with an extra day this month.  Maybe I’ll read an extra chapter in a book, hit the gym or maybe even write another blog post.  One thing’s for sure though.  I will be making the most out of February 29^th.  I mean, after all, it only comes every 4 years!  It’s like we should be having a celebration that day!  Maybe I should hit the mall!  I wonder if they will have a leap year sale!!??  Oh the possibilities that February 29^th holds! 

What are you going to do with your extra day?  I challenge you to do something for yourself that day!  Whether it’s an extra mile on the treadmill or an extra dollar spent at the mall make it count!  Also, what are some of the things you do to say on track?  I would love to hear about them in the comments below.

I hope you are having a fantastic 1^st day of February and I wish you the best when trying to think of what to do with your extra 24 hours.  Be fierce, be fabulous, be you and remember, nice girls always finish first!

BrittneeNoel