Please pass the Serotonin (biology lesson and GIVEAWAY!)

I will be traveling for the next few days and returning on Monday. In the meantime, I suggest you read this highly informative post and then enter my giveaway!

Possibly the best way to "feel pretty" is to just feel happy. Enter our good friend, serotonin.

So what on God's green earth is serotonin? Serotonin is a chemical made by our very own brains that helps to create and maintain "happy feelings." It can regulate moods, aid sleep and relieve anxiety or depression.

Some bad news: Constant unrelieved stress can deplete serotonin levels and lead to something known as "unhappy feelings." Also known as "I have to eat that entire cake right now" feelings.

Some good news: Just taking moments throughout the day to relax, stretch, laugh or experience some joy can replenish serotonin levels and help keep you from being an exhausted, cranky wreck by the end of the day. I do lots of things like this. I stretch, I crochet or read at lunch, and I also read (surprise) beauty blogs. I even have a few favorite youtube videos that make me laugh. But when I really need a hefty boost, my sure-fire, mood-altering, guaranteed serotonin-inducing destination is the website, Cute Overload. Cute Overload is photo after photo of really cute, funny animals. Tons and tons of them. With witty captions. Here is an example:

After a few minutes of pictures like these, I am guaranteed to be in a better place. And for those times when I need even more cute animals with hilarious captions, the folks at i can has cheezburger have an endless supply. Have a look:
So what on God's green earth does any of this have to do with a beauty giveaway?

Well I'm giving away something really cute. One lucky reader will win an I SHOP FOR SUGAR FAIRYTALE Mini Makeup Palette from Sugar Cosmetics. It's an adorable little makeup palette made to look like a tiny tote bag. (It has 4 shadows and 4 glosses.)

In addition to this teeny tote bag, I'll add a bunch of mini-sized beauty, fragrance and skincare items. Cuteness galore!

How to enter: Send an email to me at ifeelpretty@comcast.net with a comment about one of my posts. Put the title of the post in the subject line, and your comment in the body of the email (the comment should vaguely relate to the post – not just “great giveaway” or “hello”). You have as many chances to win as I have posts (38!). Just send a separate email for each. I'll accept entries through Saturday, May 16, and I’ll email the winner on Sunday 5/17. The winner will have 72 hours to respond. If no response, I’ll move to the next randomly selected person. Good luck!
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