We all want beautiful skin, especially during the “skin showing” months of summer. So how do we get it without spending a fortune at the Clinique counter? By eating antioxidant rich foods, that’s how. Your skin, just like every other organ in your body, needs antioxidant laden foods to keep it healthy and toxin free. Here are some of the most important foods to eat for beautiful skin. Try to get these delicious foods into your diet as often as possible and I promise you will love the results.

Foods for beautiful skin:

Sunflower seeds, Swiss chard, and almonds- What do they all have in common? Vitamin E! Vitamin E works to protect skin from ultra violet rays and rejuvenate the cells. Sauté swiss chard with garlic and olive oil and top with a mix of toasted almonds and sunflower seeds. Vitamin E never tasted so good!

Cauliflower, walnuts, and cabbage- Did you think wild salmon was the only place to get Omega 3 fatty acids? Well get excited because they are in vegetables too! Omega 3’s are essential in creating beautiful skin for they help maintain cell membranes. It is these membranes that act as barriers for the body, letting water and nutrients in, and keeping toxins out. Make an easy cabbage slaw topped with walnuts then steam cauliflower and serve with a lemon tahini sauce (also packed with Vitamin C). After these two dishes, your skin will be good to go!

Carrots, Kale, and Apricots- Not only are these foods quick and easy to get your hands on, they also serve up a giant does of Vitamin A (aka Beta Carotene). Vitamin A is involved in the repair and growth of body tissues, which is particularly beneficial when dealing with sun damaged skin. Stir-fry carrots and kale with garlic, ginger, and soy sauce for a great side dish. For the apricots, try throwing them on the grill for a great summer dessert!

Bell peppers, broccoli, and strawberries- Loaded with more vitamin C than an orange, these foods work to create collagen in the skin and protect your lovely epidermis from oxidative stress. Best ways to eat them? Grill the peppers and broccoli or eat them raw with hummus. As for strawberries, just pop them in your mouth (or put them in a crisp).

Shitake mushrooms, cod and shrimp- Mushrooms (both shittake and crimini), cod, and shrimp are chock full of selenium, a potent nutrient that promotes skin elasticity and quality. Broil cod with a fresh tomatoes and basil. For the shrimp and mushrooms, toss them into an easy Thai curry. So good!

*This post was written by Jamie Dougherty for the Please feel free to contact Jamie with questions or to share your health, wellness and foodie stories. Email: jamiegd@jamieliving.com Facebook: JAMIE LIVING Twitter:JAMIE LIVING

My favorite back to school outfit was a bright blue button-up smock dress with a white collar. It had two big side pockets and an artists brush and painter’s pallette appliqued on the right side. I remember how great I felt when I waltzed into homeroom fashionably late (chaotic carpool) the first day of 4rd grade and whipped out my new pencil holders, erasers, and tablets from my equally cool new backpack. I had the right look and the right tools to get that schoolyear going. But after visiting several boutiques in Austin with back to school in mind, I would love another crack at starting back to school with the even cooler fashions and accessories available today. I could really rock fourth grade!

Since it is stunningly hot here in Austin for back to school, the water bottle is a must. Fortunately, fashionable water bottles are available. PerriBerri has CIGG waterbottles in all colors and are made out of recycled aluminum. Perfect for your new backpack! And who knew that school supplies were now so trendy. Japanese erasers are very cutting edge in all shapes from soccer balls to iced cakes. Tom’s shoes are comfortable, lightweight, machine-washable slip-ons in every color imaginable. When you buy a pair of Tom’s, the proceeds go to buy a pair for an underprivileged child. perriberri.com

Izzy and Ash is for the chic kid. Rock band shirts and graphic tees are great for jazzing up a pair of shorts. Nano and Monster Republic give boys the edgy, LA look: you know, casual, energetic and devilish! The ultra cool backpacks from Dante Beatrix are owls, ladybugs and dinosaurs. Zio Sport is an Austin-based company that makes activewear for kids so comfortable that they never want to stop playing! They offer a great assortment all of which are perfect for the August return to school. izzyandash.com

For the back to preschoolers, Bright Beginnings has nap mats that roll up neatly like a yoga mat. You can buy the matching pillow and lunchbox to go with the mat, too. Personally, I love the wall of socks at Bright Beginnings. It’s such a great time to start off with complete pairs of socks and trendy ones at that. They have backpacks on rollers so you can glide down the hall like on the way to the airport and not have the backache. I especially loved the annual keepsake books they have from preschool to 6th grade. That’s a good way to keep things organized each schoolyear rather than throwing papers into a huge storage box to be gone through “later.” My third grade insider, Allison, tells me the candy wrapper accessories are the IT item. The wrappings from Reese’s, M&M’s and Double Bubble are used for headbands and purses. So so cool. bestdressedkids.com

Trendy Bella Mi has a room dedicated to tweens. Juicy Couture clothes, handbags and jewelry are in great colors. I really wish they had my size in Twirly Girl because the dresses, skirts and leggings were adorable and reversible and all designed to express your inner twirl. They even have the under twirls you wear when you are wearing a skirt or dress but have to do a spontaneous cartwheel or simply twirl. Good thinking! The Lelli Kelly glittered sneakers are fabulous as are the ballet flats and cowboy boots by Willits. Room.it.up has all sizes of brightly colored backpacks and lunchkits. They also carry groovy journals and legal pads. bella-mi.com

From runway show recaps to laid-back street looks, the world of fashion blogging is a vibrant virtual scene. It’s not necessarily about the newest, hottest, or spendiest trend — it’s about the textiles, color palettes and silhouettes that make us feel gorgeous.

For a jolt of wardrobe inspiration to pull you through the dog days of summer, bookmark Jazzi McGilbert, Sally McGraw and “Miss” James Kicinski. While their personal styles may diverge, their message is the same: get dressed, and get going!

Jazzi McGilbert of JazziMcG.com

Thrift store scenester? Or haute couture hound? Jazzi McGilbert (aka Jazzi McG) confidently struts straight down the center of the spectrum. Her blog traipses through the world of high fashion, throws the spotlight on intimate “intern confessionals” and shares a few DIY treasures (Alexander Wang sock garters, anyone?). As Jazzi puts it, her mission is to “let everyone know that the fashion industry can be tackled without a trust fund”. Can I get an amen, sister?

Sally McGraw of Already Pretty
Can one personal stylist change the way women view their bodies, and themselves? Sally McGraw thinks so. The lovely McGraw elevates her passion for chic clothing with an outspoken commitment to body acceptance. Blog posts like “What IS Flattering?” provide commonsense insights into topics that have frustrated shoppers since the dawn of time. And her weekly contests and giveaways — which range from cotton scarves to summer frocks to hefty gift cards — are not to be missed.

“Miss” James Kicinski of Bleubird Vintage
Chic baby mama. Vinyl record collector. Frilly knicker designer. Miss James is a retro inspiration — and a drop-dead gorgeous one, at that. In addition to writing about her latest Etsy obsessions and selling dreamy vintage-inspired collections through her online shop, James also blogs over at N.E.E.T. magazine. Best of luck as she stylishly feathers the nest for her new baby (due in July). What a busy little bird!

*This post was written by Alexandra Franzen for the CRAVE company:

ALEXANDRA FRANZEN is a writer + editor + organization freak. She designs rockstar resumes, leads personal branding jam sessions, writes marketing copy and teaches wallflowers how to hustle like a gangsta’. You can find her blogging up a storm at Unicorns for Socialism and tweeting away @alex_franzen.