Maybe it's because I'm a girl, but I always struggle with finding the perfect gift for the men in my life. Are men in general just difficult to shop for? 

When I found myself stumped as to what to get my boyfriend recently, I didn't know of anything he necessarily wanted at the time, but plenty of things that he likes. So, I created a personalized, thoughtful "man bouquet" full of all his favorite things. It turned out to be a pretty simple gift to put together, and of course he loved it! With the holiday season quickly approaching, this is definitely a gift type that I will be exploring for my dad, brother and uncles as well! 

When you start to break out the sundresses and sandals, don't leave your hair undone. This warmer weather is a great time to explore fresh, new styles to dress up each outfit. I'm not a hairdresser, and I've never been particularly skilled at getting every strand to lay just right. But, I've done my share of practicing and searching for new styles to try. Luckily for me, a little mess isn't a bad thing - it's actually in style! So even if you're not an expert, you can still try out some new styles without worrying that those random kinks will ruin the look. 

After the first two layers are solved, turn the cube upside-down so that the bottom layer is now on top. To avoid any confusion, I will refer to this as the yellow layer. 

If you are not ready for Phase 3 yet, you can go back and read my blogs on Phase 1 and Phase 2.

To solve this yellow layer, you can read my step-by-step process below, or scroll to the video tutorial at the bottom of this post.

After you master Phase 1 of the Rubik's cube, you're ready to move on to Phase 2 - the Middle Layer. This phase is actually the easiest, in my opinion. To learn to solve this section, you can read my step-by-step process below, or scroll to the bottom of this post to view a video tutorial.

The first step of this layer is easy. Twist the top layer (the white side) until the three adjacent colors match up with the center pieces on each side of the cube. 

For example, in the image to the left, you would be looking for that center blue cube to match up with the three blue/white pieces along the top. Once they match up, you will have a "T" shape on all sides. Now, there are only 4 cubes left to solve on the Middle Layer - the two-sided edges...

I taught myself to solve the Rubik's cube in 6 months by practicing during high school study hall every day. There are some people out there who can solve a Rubik's cube in about 7 seconds. I'm not one of those geniuses, but if you have wanted to learn to solve this puzzle, I can show you how in a method that takes about 2 minutes (with practice). Not as impressive as 7 seconds, of course, but it's still a good party trick! Just keep in mind, this is definitely a puzzle that takes practice. I've broken the steps down into 3 different phases, with each phase solving each of the three layers of the cube (top, middle, bottom). In this post, I will break down the steps of the first layer. Or, simply scroll to the bottom of this post to watch my step-by-step how-to video for solving this first phase! Stay tuned for upcoming posts on phases 2 & 3. 

Have you ever seen a fingernail polish design that was so detailed, so intricate, that it could have been a sticker? What if I told you that you don't have to go to a salon to get those kinds of nails? There are people out there who put an incredible amount of effort into learning this creative hobby. My sister is one of these people. 

Like any girls, we loved playing with nail polish as kids. Then one day, our mom bought some nail polish pens. This allowed us to experiment with detailed designs like we never thought possible before. From that point on, my sister was hooked. Today, she has a bucket of nail polish colors and tools. But, you don't have to be intimidated by that. All you need to start creating this kind of nail art is some polishes and paints, dotting tools, patience, practice, and maybe a friend to do your non-dominant hand :)

Oh, and the step-by-step list of tips she shared with me below: