**REVIEW** Body Merry Cellulite Defense Cream (part 1 review)

I love my Tomoson.com! My latest product received is one that I hate to admit I need. It's a cellulite-fighting cream from Body Merry. Actually, it's their Cellulite Defense Gel-Cream. And, yes, I am in a little bit of a battle with cellulite. Not a huge battle, mind you, but... When I gained all that weight while on prednisone, I was careful to moisturize, moisturize and moisturize some more. More than I usually do. Still, now that I have lost a lot of the weight (10 pounds in three weeks, thanks to some stress), whenever I sit down, I notice a slight dimpling on my legs where that elusive "thigh gap" is supposed to be.

Because I have only been using this for couple of weeks, I can tell you that, while I haven't seen dramatic results yet,  my problem areas do look better (probably due to the extra moisturizing). I am going to need to use this product for a while longer before I can review any more definitive results, I will use this post to give you my initial impressions. In a few weeks, I will update with a "part 2" that will let you know what kind of effects I will have noticed. For now, let's take a look.

First off, you know how I am about smells, right? Well, I thought I was going to dislike the odor of this because of all the mention of "herbal" and "organic" in the product description. (I love most things herbal and organic, but the smell of such things can be tricky!)

Happily, I discovered that, while there is a slight odor, there is no stink. It reminds me of something slightly eucalyptus-y except not anywhere near as strong. Anyway, the odor dissipates by the time cream dries.

Oh, yes - it really is a "gel cream", as described on the label. It's a little bit gel-ly like. I found this out when I was careless while removing the safety seal. I almost dumped out some of it when I opened and tilted the jar! This product is extremely moist. What I like about such "runny" creams is that I can usually get away with making a little bit of it go a long way. (If I don't dump it all over the floor in a klutz move...)

Because I recently lost my glasses (long story), I was not able to read the complete list of ingredients on the jar, but I found this on Amazon:

Some of our KEY ingredients are: Caffeine + Retinol + Algae Extract + Kelp + Dulse + Organic Cayenne + Japanese Green Tea Leaf Extract + Organic Coconut Oil + MSM + Vitamin E + Organic Sweet Almond Oil + Organic Aloe + Apricot Kernel Oil

Have to say that I like all those.

If you have or or don't need glasses, this is for you:

I have heard and read lots of information on how good coffee is for treating cellulite. I've also heard that coffee/caffeine has no effect as a cellulite treatment. If coffee is not the solution, then regularly massaging the skin with a good cream is (and this cream is excellent for that). Then there is what I'm hearing about retinol for improving problem areas. I've actually tried homemade coffee scrubs (messy, sooo messy!) and, like I've mentioned, I'm diligent about moisturizing regularly. I'd rather drink my coffee for kicks and use a body product that makes less of a mess in the shower, so this cream could be just the thing.

I have used the cream almost every day so far, massaging it into my thigh area twice a day. At first, I was worried about whether or not there would be any tingling or stinging sensation because of the "horsetail" ingredient I'd be using for the first time. There was no unpleasant sensation and the texture of the cream really made for a nice massage.

Body Merry has a 100% money-back, "no questions asked" guarantee in case you aren't satisfied. You can find the Cellulite Defense on Amazon but, so far, the only product on the Body Merry site itself is their Age Defense Eye Cream. I like that they ensure the testing and quality of their products. It's my opinion that most people don't use a product long enough to see promised results. In this case, there's no excuse because Body Merry will let you keep the remains of your product.

By the way, when I checked, I saw a lot of very positive reviews for the product. As for myself, I will be letting you know what my results are in a few weeks. Hang tight!

Peace
--Free

 I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

**RANT** Invisible Illnesses

Lord forgive me, but there are times I wish that I had a more visible illness.

You know that look you give someone who whips out their "Handicapped" placard, pulls into a reserved parking spot, then hops out of their car with the agility of Mick Jagger at 20? Sure, you know. THAT look. Well, I used to give people that look. Used to. Not anymore.

Thankfully, I don't need to park in a reserved spot so I never get "the Look". What I get is ignored. Ignored might be something that some disabled people long for, but not when it's worse than a smack in the face. Or when it makes being sick worse than "just" being sick.

Because I don't have an illness anyone can see, I don't get to park in any of the reserved spaces at the store or in life. Nope. Those special "life spaces" are reserved too, you see. Since I look like I can trot through life like a young Mick Jagger, there are lots of things I get a dirty attitude for:

• Fatigued? Well, that's just too bad. I look too healthy (and might I say "gorgeous", or maybe not) to be fatigued. Fatigued from what? I look perfectly healthy. I should be able to wind up every morning and put the Energizer Bunny to shame!
• A little down and blue? Well, none of that pity-pot business for me, my friend. At least I don't have ~insert disease #1 her~ or ~insert another disease~, right? My life is just perfect. I can get any job I used to, or go back to school to learn another job. Oh wait... I'd need to have better short-term memory for that. And then there's the whole fatigue thing. You know the problem I shouldn't have. We won't even talk about the stigma of being sick while looking well and fine. We really won't discuss any of the rest of stuff that can beat you down like Tyson in the ring. All those things like housing and food. Affordable housing and food. 
• Not counting my blessings. Because, you know, I don't have one of those other diseases. And, besides, the one I do have doesn't seem all that bad. And, not that I care what idiots think, but I do count my blessings. I wish I could add more people to the list of blessings to count. (Okay now, that was just plain snarky. Sorry.)
• Discouraged ever now and then? Well, that's just not allowed. Even though I struggle to piece back together some kind of a life. Even though I can't write as well as I used to (the one thing I was good at), and even though I wonder if I'm ever going to feel "normal" again. None of that matters. Especially when other people make it all look so easy.

I could go on. And on. I won't because then I'd get accused of being bitchy. I'm going to have to ask my docs if "bitchy" is a symptom of this disease or a symptom of most invisible diseases. A symptom brought on by, maybe, those other things I mentioned right up there. I'm pretty sure if I ask the wrong person, I'll get the "parking space" look.

So, yes, while I count my blessings and ward off my own bitchiness, I do sometimes want to wear a shirt like this one:

Cos that's what people think anyway
(get this shirt here)

And, by the way, you can hold the advise about how to handle illness. I don't want to handle it, want to beat the crap out of it. And, anyway, no one else - not even someone with the same disease - can tell anyone else how to handle their illness. I think that any disease/disability - no matter how "strong" someone is or how well they seem to handle it - is a personalized kind of struggle. My struggle has my name on it, not anyone else's. And, okay: that doesn't really explain the "bitchy" part. (I'm seriously going to have to ask a doc about that!)

Being sick made me more "natural"???
(get this shirt here)

 For those of you who don't know, I have another problem:

Part of it is this tho

It's true. If I'm not smiling, I look like I'm off to start trouble. That's why I smile so much (and sometimes look like I either have a great secret or better meds). Mostly. Part of it is (sometimes) just this:

I do have a flaw (yes, just one) of my own: I have a problem hearing other people complain about their little aches and pains when some of us are dealing with bigger stuff. See how I fell right into that whole "your problem vs my problem" thing? That's what happens when I turn my head and you see my other face.

So, yeah. This is a shout out to you all who are healthy and well. Don't make those of us with an invisible illness have to wear our bitchy face just to repel your "parking lot" attitude.

Peace

--Free

P.S.: Again, I'm thinking of Perry. I used to have him to vent all of this to. I guess I'll be using the blog to sometimes "talk" to him.

***REVIEW*** ProLinc Callus Eliminator

Remember when, a few days ago, I was wish-listing products I'd like to review? Well, this product from ProLinc for removing calluses was on the bottom of that list but at the top of my mind. My niece has hardwood floors almost completely throughout the house. The floors look great. The floors are murder on my bad feet. I'm addicted to my house slippers at this point!

Would take a miracle for my feet

Anyway, I had to do something. I could either go wild and spend the whopping $8.20 (from Amazon) for the 4-oz bottle of callus remover, or I could keep wearing out expensive insoles or coming up with alternatives, one of which I'll tell you about if I don't chicken out before I finish this post!

First, let me mention that the feet used in the Before/After photo are not really that bad compared to my dawgs. (How sad is that? Cos you know they tried to find the worst-looking feet they could. They should've called me. Or maybe not. They want to make a point, not scare off potential customers...)

Second, I refuse to take a photo of my feet for this post. Not because they are that awful, but because it's really awkward to get a good shot of your feet. I almost fell off the edge of the tub when I tried it. Besides, I've been shameless in describing my feet so you should all have the idea by now.

The thing I noticed when looking at that Before and After pic is that 1) my feet aren't that bad - at least not all over, and 2) that person has cracks in their feet.  ProLinc's FAQs advises customers not to use the product on cracked feet. Common sense, right? So... I guess the "Before" pic may not be accurate. That's just my opinion. It didn't stop me from giving the product a try. After all, there are no cracks in my feet. Just calluses and corns.

Does anyone else see that crack in her heel?

I didn't have a lot of time the first time I used the product, so I had to kind of cram my self-pedi in between appointments that were 45 minutes apart. Gave me enough time for a 10-minute foot soak and another 10 for putting on some disposable gloves, applying the product, almost dropping my cellphone into the water, and damn near sliding off the side of the tub. I allowed 5 minutes for the product to soak in and do its thing. By the time I washed and dabbed my feet, I realized I'd left the foot file-buffer-thingie waaaay down the hall in the bedroom. I just used the edge of a cap from my shower gel to sort of scrape at my feet.

By the way, the product is runnier than I expected. It didn't really "stick" to my feet, so I had to keep catching the run-off and slathering it back on. Just a minor quirk, but all the photos show the product as having more of a coating texture. ~shrug~

Now. Since I didn't exactly follow directions, I can't complain about not getting the exact same results as the person in the Before and After photos. I got close, but... My heels and the softer areas of my feet ended up looking great. Very smooth and free of all that nasty dead skin that looks horrible.

The rougher areas of my feet (and I mean rough like a bad neighborhood after dark) didn't come out quite as beautiful. This is partly my fault. I didn't have my tools on hand and I'm pretty sure that a hard plastic shower gel cap is not a great substitution.

Here's the good thing: Even without the right tools on hand, I still saw a lot of improvement in my worst calluses - which are mostly on the pads of my feet right under my little toes. Just imagine the results when I actually have time to do a proper job of this. The bottoms of my feet and the heels are nice and soft. The calluses softened up enough for me to bear walking on these hardwood floors without being in pain.

I think this is a great product. It's affordable and easy to use. You just have to be careful to follow directions - not just for results but for safety (see the "Warnings").

Peace
--Free

P.S.:

I mentioned that I have come up with ways to protect the footsies when I'm without insoles. Insoles can be pricey and I can't afford them for every pair or shoe or cheap slipper I own. And what about when I want to just pad around the house in my socks? Well, I have a little trick I use that just cracks my family UP! I'm going to tell my secret solution to you and only you, but only if you promise not to tell everyone else:

Panty liners.

Yep. The cheap kind that are almost no good for use as a liner for your panties. Those are the ones that are great for use as a quickie insole. Just stick the sticky side onto your feet before you slide on socks to walk around the house. Depending on how your shoes fit, the liners are even great for a day out on your feet in one of those stores with concrete floors. 

You can laugh all you want but, baby, let me tell you... When I couldn't get my expensive Dr Scholl's into my cute boots, I strutted right around with some Dollar Store panty liners keeping my feet padded and comfy.

Grief Prolonged

Today was one of those days. It was a decent day, but so many little things bothered me that I just felt worn out by noon.

And I'm missing Perry so much still.

I've been listening to a song that reminds me of him and our friendship. I'm surprised that I didn't know how much he meant to me until he was gone. He meant everything.

It was Perry who kept me on the safe side of sane when I was going through the worst of my sickness and life turmoil. He could make me laugh if that's what either of us needed but, more than that, he could let me cry if that's just what I needed. I hope I was there for him like that too.

I know that people can die of heartbreak because I can literally feel my own heart aching every time I want to see an email or get a phone call from my buddy. He's not here anymore and that just hurts and hurts and hurts.

Thinking of you, my friend.

I wish you were.

I know what you'd probably say if you were here. You'd tell me to go ahead and feel all the bad stuff - just for a little while though. Then you'd tell me to find at least one blessing to count. So I'm going to sit here and feel sad for a little while, then I'm going to continue a challenge I've been given to name 3 blessings a day. I'm on Day 4, but it's harder to count through the tears I'm swallowing.

Peace,

Free

**REVIEW** Bit Defender Antivirus (Free Edition)

Wow. I am so thankful to +Sandy Sandmeyer for telling me about Bit Defender Antivirus. I was getting tired of struggling to understand and use Comodo.

First off, the big difference between these two pieces of software is that where Comodo was loaded but confusing to use, I don't really have to think about Bit Defender. It's just sort of... there. And doing its job. Comodo was beautiful, and loaded, and just chock full of stuff that would have been great to use, but...

Not enough aspirin in the world!

Another thing I like so much about Bit Defender is that it makes it easy to find quarantined files. Then it makes a simple pick-and-choose job of of viewing the file in its folder, restoring the file, or just deleting it. Easy.

This would make life easier

This program is so simple to use, I really don't have much else to say about it. There is no convoluted interface. The shortcut is right there on my desktop when I want to check and see any warnings or quarantined items. (I was going to get a screen shot of it on my desktop but... some little cutie pie who I won't name named DJ jacked my mouse & I am having trouble with the built-in one on my laptop.)

Even this chart confuses me...

Anyway, another goodie about this program? Free. Yep. Of course, Comodo also has a free version that I was using. I was actually tempted to just buy Bit Defender Antivirus Plus 2015, but I can't afford the $59.95 just now. They also have Internet Security 2015 ($$79.95) and Total Security (on markdown right now for $79.94 from $89.95). Thing is, these are all priced for a year for 3 PCs. I'd love to ask for a discount since I have only one PC! Hah.

First Problem? No money.

So, yeah, I am really liking the great job that Bit Defender Antivirus Free is doing. I like it so much that I am planning on putting the paid version on a wishlist somewhere.

Peace
--Free

Products I'd LOVE to Review

First a little personal note:

I'm in the midst of re-re-locating. I'm going to be living between family homes for a while. I will actually reside in Anchorage, but because of my awesome family support system, I will be able to get to Iowa every few months for a few weeks. This takes the stress off of me while I wait for an affordable place here in Anchorage (and shame of this city for not having enough affordable housing for singles!); my healthcare team is here, so I don't have to be anxious about that; I will get to see my little brother and sister often enough that we don't go into bonding withdrawals; and, most of all, I get to save money for when a place opens up here. Who else has family like mine!????

Oh yeah. These guys were a good family too.

Now, because I am (almost literally) moving in about 5 different directions at once, I have been slacking on the product reviews. I have a couple of new products in transit but, in the meantime, I thought it would be fun to talk about products I'm just SO wanting to try. (Maybe someone will see this and I'll get an offer to try out a few of these.)

You think I'm kidding? Nope.

• Anything from this brand. I did get a tiny sample of the Immune Perfect Continuous Hydration, but not enough to really test it over a few days. From the little bit I did try, I loved it. They have a special offer on a "dry skin treatment" (including the Continuous Hydration) that I'm just drooling over...
• "Love Curl Moisture Milk" by Camille Rose Naturals just sounds so yummy. My hair was almost too hydrated from the Iowa humidity, but the mineral-laden tap water also dried it out after shampooing. Now that I am back in Alaska, my body clock has re-adjusted but my hair is still confused! (Also, I kind of like the story of the product's founder.)
• And because I'm a little hair-obsessed right now, I'm also wanting to dry this Hair Dew by Oyin Handmade. I wish I knew their story. 
• TUKKA Naturals interests me because - well, it's for "naturals". Like me. I want to try this  conditioner and this duo. And, of course, I want to try this shampoo. (Aren't the names interesting?) Once again, I love the story.
• Getting away from the hair thing (sort of), I came across this quite by accident. I love the idea of using oils on my skin. I had never heard of Caiaué oil before this. One thing I can tell you is, I'm sure I will like the orange scent better than I do that of the rosehip oil (which works great, by the way)... I found that there is not as much info out there about this oil as I expected because it's better known as the trademarked name of Ojon oil. The company selling it on Amazon has this site. Huh.
• This is a little embarrassing to share, but I have bad feet. I don't mean "bad" as in crooked or anything like that. I mean "bad" as in I don't take the best care of my feet as I should. I have corns and calluses that could frighten a podiatrist. My calluses get so bad that I find it painful to walk barefoot on hard flooring. We have wood floors throughout the house here. Yeah. So... Now, I do soak and scrub and moisturize my feet like a fetishist, but if I miss one week of not doing all that, those calluses grow right back like a petri dish experiment. So, this product is on my radar. It even comes in an "orange". What caught my eye? That it's supposed to eliminate calluses in mintues. Oh, yeah. This one is on my radar for shu-ah.

Well, there's my little product Wish List. I didn't even add on all the makeup I want to try. That would make for a loooong list. There are all sorts of BB and CC creams and new lips stains I want to try out. I think I'm going to have to make some vendor suggestions to Tomoson.com

If any of you have had a chance to try any of these products (or any products from these brands), I'd be interested to get your take on how they work.

Peace
--Free

Found What I'm Looking For

As I get ready to leave Iowa and head back to Anchorage, I can say that I maybe have found what I'm looking for.

I found that my little brother is going to be just fine once I go home to Anchorage because he's been blessed with a wife who loves him. She will do just fine looking after him (and him looking after her). I will see them again soon.

I found that I have to be happy wherever I end up, and that just happens to be nearer to DJ and my sister right now.

I found that while I've lost some things and people in life (RIP Perry), that I have been given more than has been taken away.

I found that I can't worry about finding tomorrow; I just have to live for this day that God's given me.

I also found fresh faith.

So, I'll be heading back to Anchorage, where I can complain about the long, relentless winters and the never-ending darkness. But I'm going to start some new habits: attending church and Bible study; enjoying more of every second with my little "Boo Boo" (DJ); and just taking one day at a time without worrying about moments I haven't lived yet.

Finally, I have to give a shout out to the awesome people I met here (Hi, Marty & Mrs. Marty! Hello Pastor Scott and Sister Robin!).

And I'm giving a big blog hug to my little brother and his wife.

Oh yeah, and...

We look too much alike, don't we?!

Peace
--Free

Still Haven't Found... (photo post)

I feel like that "Walking Man" that James Taylor sings about.

I came to Iowa, hoping to find a new place to live. I did. In the second week, I found affordable housing. I also found a new "sister" in my sister-in-law. I've always had a strong bond with my 'baby' brother, so there was that.

What I didn't find was the ability to be away from my sister and baby DJ. My brother, sis-in-law and I really want the rest of my family to move here...

I learned something too. I learned that the right storm of circumstances can knock all the firmness from the ground under your feet.

When Perry died, I felt so thrown and heartbroken and lost that I couldn't get my bearings. I still can't. I've been sick (physically) and off kilter. I need the familiar and the routine of my life in Alaska right now. (And I can't believe I am saying this when I know a long winter is coming.)

But.

I have gained a love for this beautiful place and its people. From (literally), the moment I landed at Des Moines, I have not met one unfriendly person. The first Iowan I shook hands with was the gentleman (and I do mean he's a true gentle-kind-sweet man) who picked me up to bring me into town - giving me a tour along the way and refusing to take a cold nickel for his time or trouble. Thank you, Marty Anecita Rowe! You should be one of the ambassadors for this great state.

When I attended church, the pastor, his wife and the congregation greeted me very sincerely by saying things like "Welcome home." When's the last time that's happened to many of us? Let me tell you once again, the people here don't just mumble "Have a nice day," they mean it and try to make it so. It's unbelievable.

Most of all, I was able to spend time with my brother. We were able to have our long and winding talks. We were able to reconnect for a while. He, my sis(in-law) had long drives through the countryside, sat around the fire-pit, and I even had "foil burgers" with a friend of theirs. I had the meaning of "family" re-enforced on my heart and in my head.

So.

I'll be back. Often as I can. I will be back to see the "baby bro" who is the other part of my heart, and my sister-in-law (who warned me: "You're in trouble. I never had a sister before"). I would probably not have that goal if I hadn't been here for this little while and at this particular time in my life. (And, by the way, +Bonnie Conway - you're in trouble too. You can ask my other sisters about that!)

My baby bro & sis.
Love these guys!

My little brother might think I'm leaving for good, but he's never getting rid of me that easy. Never.

Just an everyday drive from Forest City to Klemme

When I think of Iowa, I will always think of shades of green - the same way that Alaska brings to mind the colors of blue.

Here's some of my photographed memories. You can see the beauty of the state, but you can't see the laughter and conversation and joy that the three of us Conways were blessed with. If you have family that you love, you'll know what I mean.

A "small" ice cream cone from
Viking Ice Cream in Clear Lake

I wanted to visit the beautiful cemeteries that are
everywhere here. Look at the date on the tombstone. History.

Uncommonly beautiful is so common here

In the yard. Peace and nature.

"My" dog. (Hootch is everybody's dog!)

Seen on my very first day in the state. An old mill and dam.

Hibiscus bloom given to me by my family's neighbor (Randy)
Because people are just thoughtful like that

I'll always come back to see the farms and houses and... beauty

If I can talk the rest of my family into moving here.... 

A real cowboy in the Kawana Labor Day parade

View from the family's backyard fire pit & swing
Our own private Eden

the Black-eyed Susans I saw in Clear Lake

trees everywhere, of every kind and color!

charming, simple neighborhoods

About these windmills (turbines?): I was so fascinated with the size of these things. Even driving close by them, I can't wrap my brain around how enormous they are. To give you an idea, I found this info online:

1. How much do wind turbines weigh? In the GE 1.5-megawatt model, the nacelle alone weighs more than 56 tons, the blade assembly weighs more than 36 tons, and the tower itself weighs about 71 tons — a total weight of 164 tons. (source)

Isn't that insane?! When we were driving one night, I got to see the red flashing lights they emit in unison. It's such an ordinary thing for the people here, but I never got tired of looking at them.

Because I just can't get over it, here are some photos from online:

Just. Incredible. And I got so see whole "farms" of them.

Speaking of farms...

This is such a common sight that I always felt like we were driving through a painted landscape

Seen on one of our drives

Why am I so fascinated with soybean fields? LOL

This made me want a farm. Sort of.
Until I thought of walking in all the dirt & grass.

Every shade of green there is

This is a historic house in Clear Lake, but there's so much pretty home architecture here

If I could get the rest of my family to move here (and I will be working on that), I could spend the rest of my life here. Clean air, good people, lots of nature and old-fashioned values...

Here's what I wonder? Do the people (other than my family) who live here realize how lucky they are?

Peace
--Free

P.S.: Because my brother, Darrell, is awesome... He took us to breakfast right after I composed this post yesterday. Guess what we saw coming up the highway across from where we were parked?

 Yep. One of the "arms" of a windmill/turbine was being transported.

The driver has a truck following him so that when they make turns, the "follow" driver can use a control to turn the back wheels of the transport truck. Otherwise, no way would the transport vehicle be able to make turns. It was pretty cool to watch. I hope this video that my bro took via his phone will work for you viewers.

Hats off to the guys who drive (and assist) these vehicles!

**REVIEW** InstaNatural Organic Rosehip Oil

This is another goodie I am trying thanks to Tomoson.

First off, let me say that I am extremely sensitive to smells. This product is one that you will either like or dislike the smell off. It has a very distinct odor that I am finding hard to describe. It's a sweet, sort of woodsy herbal scent that I'm not crazy about. The odor dissipates quickly, but it is there at the outset.

The second thing I have to tell you is that I wasn't really previously aware of rosehip oil or its uses. I did a little digging around and what I am learning is that it's taking a place right up there with other trendy skincare oils.

Since I'm not crazy about the smell, and since I have a daytime moisturizer, I've been using the rosehip oil to bed. I use it very, very sparingly on my face, but I like to douse my lips in it. I have not yet tried it on my hair, but I'll let you know how that goes when I do. Oh - I am loving the way it makes my fingernails and cuticles feel, which I discovered completely by accident.

 After a few nights' use, I haven't had any problems with skin sensitivity or any redness. I have decided that I'm going to start using it on my elbows as well.

Now, for some additional points I like about this brand:

• Organic
• Not tested on animals
• Made in the USA
• 90-day money-back guarantee
• It's not greasy & blends into the skin really well

The product can be ordered via Amazon or direct from InstaNatural's site.

I have tried other InstaNatural products (one of which I'll be reviewing shortly) and I can attest to their excellent customer service.

As I stated before, I had to get used to the initial out-of-the-bottle smell, but I can see that some folks might find the odor to be pleasant.

Once I get into a place of my own and get back to a more normal routine, I will be trying the oil in every way directed: stretch marks, any burns, and on my hair. Then I will do an updated review.

Peace

--Free

DISCLOSURE:
I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

**REVIEW** Comodo Internet Security

This is what I've been using on my PC for a while. I'm thinking of finding another program though because, while I hate change, I'm getting frustrated with this one...

All I want is a security program that will clean my PC of threats, warn me of potential threats, and help me maintain, monitor and keep some control of installed/downloaded stuff. Oh - and said program must be user-friendly without my having to run to the Help section every time I want to use it. Am I asking too much? Am I dreaming? Maybe.

Here is why I'm dreading trying to replace Comodo, but feel I must.

PRO:

• Nice surface interface (as far as how things are labeled for the user)
• What works, works very well and quickly
• Has a ton of features available
• It updates easily

CON:

• I can't figure out a lot of the features so I don't use them
• What works, works well, but only if you can figure out how to make them work
• The "Help" features sucks for a novice
• While the surface interface looks great, the best stuff is in the nuts & bolts. Which I can't ever easily get to.

Basically, this would be the perfect Internet Security program if it were more user-friendly.

For some reason, Comodo insists on "Sandboxing" my of my regular and long-used programs - even though I've designated it as Trusted. When it does isolate this program, I have to try to remember how to clear it. It's not a simple process (and the process shown in Help is not the one that works).

Comodo is probably a great security program for someone with better skills than my own.  I know how to use my computer and the internet; I don't want to have to take a class in how to use the program that's supposed to help keep my PC safe. I'm just too tired of having to figure out how to solve issues in Comodo.

That said, I think that some people will love Comodo. Just not me. I don't have time or patience to solve a puzzle every time I run security on my computer.

I'm now on the hunt for an inexpensive (or free) program to replace Comodo. Even though I am dreading the chore...

Peace

--Free

**PRODUCT FIND** Yes to Carrots (lip butter)

This is not a proper "review", so I'm going to call it a "product find".

I found this the other day at WalMart in Mason City. I'd misplaced my regular lip balm and was having an attack of sandpaper lips.

The "flavor" I chose

Can get in a 4-pack

When it comes to lip balms and butters, my main requirement is that they don't have an overwhelming scent or taste. For some reason, most lip products that do have a heavy taste or flavor tend to chap my lips. Weird, huh? I can even only use Burt's Bees or Carmex products on my lips when they are already in good shape.

This Yes to Carrots lip butter was soooo good to my lips on the day when they had been dried out for much of the morning. My family and I had been out for a while and I'd lost my lip balm that morning. By the afternoon, I'd been licking and chewing at my lips so much that they were getting raw. As soon as we got to WalMart, I headed off to find something to soothe my kisser.

Most of the inexpensive lip products I saw were obviously flavored (as Cherry, Chocolate, Fruity, etc.). Ugh! The rest (including Nivea lip butter, which I like) were too pricey.

The balm I chose is labeled as being "berry", but I also saw the words "with Olive Fruit Oil" on the label. To keep from spending $3.00 or more on another product, I picked the Yes to Carrots because it was around $1.30-something.

I put it on as soon as I paid for it because my lips were starting to burn a little bit by then. I'm pretty sure they looked as awful as they felt. Yuck.

Wow!

No flavor/smell (berry or otherwise) that I could detect, and the moisturizing was immediate. Not heavy or too "chap-sticky" but just soothing enough to relieve my lip situation.

Yes! Perfect.

Now, I haven't tried any of the other products from Yes to Carrots but, since I've fallen in love with the lip butter, I can't wait to.

Here's the thing: when I checked online, I couldn't find the single tube of "berry" butter I got from WalMart. Also, the prices on the site were much higher. Maybe I was getting a sale price the day I bought mine? Even so, the 3-pack prices on the site are not that bad. Besides, I will probably always get mine at WalMart or some other drugstore, so...

Now that I've been on their site, I am going to be looking in-store for the Yes to Coconut Cooling Lip Oil. Sounds good, huh?

As for their product ingredients and "recipes" - which sound great - I am a little confused about the labeling on individual tubes/containers. My lip butter indicates the Olive Fruit Oil, but I didn't see that mentioned on the site's ingredient page. At any rate, I like that they have and list their product "standards". Very nice.

Peace
--Free