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Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Why Leave NOW???

I'm getting packed for the sibling reunion in AZ & when I looked outside a couple hours ago, this is what I saw:

That's not ice rain or melting snow. That right there is a summer kind of rain shower...

 When I got up this morning, it was because it was too hot to sleep. I was throwing the window up and angling the fan right at my spot in the bed.... It's NOVEMBER. Seriously, Nature?

I'm not complaining. There are so many things I dislike about winter:

  1. Cold weather
  2. Snow
  3. Ice
  4. Crazy, reckless drivers
  5. Cold weather
  6. Snow...
I put the cold weather and snow twice because they are the two things that make me hate winter AND mornings. If the car is parked outside, I have to go and shovel it out, shovel it off, defrost the windows, and warm the interior. It's a good twenty-minute job sometimes. 

But not this winter (yet)!

This morning, I stepped out to prep the car and almost fell on my butt. Not because it was icy, but because it was so warm my body went into shock. I didn't even bother to warm up the car. No need wasting gas on that, right?

It was 41 degrees when I took this photo. In NOVEMBER. In Alaska.

If you think I'm complaining, I am - but not about the weather. My thing is, we are leaving tonight for the sibling reunion in Arizona. So... we maybe should have planned that for January? When the weather might actually be more Alaska-like?

Peace
--Free

**REVIEW** Weight Gurus

So excited when this Digital Body Fat Scale by Weight Gurus arrived. Not that I'm excited about my body fat, but... I need to know. Lord knows I need the motivation. This scale looks like it's going to really bring the motivation.

I haven't been 120-anything for about fifteen years!!!

First thing, let me tell you what a beautiful scale this is. It's the first scale I've ever owned that looks like it enhanced the decor of my bathroom! No pushing this one out of sight when I'm not using it. I'm keeping this bad boy on display. And that's okay because it can be customized for up to 8 users. (That's not an invitation though!)

Since my excitement might be contagious (and I hope it is), let me add that there are some folks who should not use this. The product box is clearly marked with some warnings:

  • Never to use in combo with medical electronic implants (such as pacemakers)
  • Not for use by kids under 10 years of age
  • Not for use by pregnant women
Paperwork enclosed with the scale advises further:
  • Not for use with medical devices such as artificial heart/lung support systems or portable electronic medical devices such as an electrocardiograph
  • Not to apply weight of more than 400 pounds on the scale
Now that I've gotten that bit out of the way...

Remember I mentioned how beautiful the scale is? Well, that photo up above doesn't really show it off. When I was trying to photograph (with my horrible skills) the scale to show you how thin it is, I captured this:

All you can see is the messy room's reflection!
Thing is so shiny, I could use it to do my makeup. 

What I was trying to capture was not the messy man-cave I was in, but how thin the scale is from the side view. Like this:

See the edge of it?
And, yes, it comes with batteries (cue the singing angels) so you don't have to worry about that.

Okay, so I fell in love right away with the design of the scale. My next step was to see how easy (or not) it is to use. Here's how that went:

Set up instructions were good. The scale has Select Mode with up and down arrows for you to choose User Number, Gender, Athlete (or not), Height, Age, Weight Mode and - of course - Weight. I did everything correctly on the first try except I realized I had somehow skipped past the Weight Mode. Also I had not downloaded the Android App (**** or for Apple) which is needed to scan the on-scale barcode and to sync my phone. 

I downloaded the app and then attempted to check my errors with the "Weight Mode" set-up.

Ahhh!!! I found another reason to LOVE this scale. There are 2 ways of checking your weight. You can go "traditional" and get a pound/kg weight reading, or you can go what they call 'weightless' (or what I choose to call 'highly motivational') and get a progress reading. As in + or - changes in your weight.

Setting up the app was not as easy as setting up the scale. The app was probably only confusing to me because I have a problem retaining instructions long enough to apply them. Other people might have no problem. Once I did get the app going, I had no trouble changing the scale to the Weightless Mode. Of course, I won't get any progress readings for a while. 

There's not much I don't love about this scale. Actually, there is not one thing I don't love about this scale. It's a great-looking device with a lot of useful features. One of the most important features is the price. The cost for this one is at or even lower than scales I've seen in local stores. Also, there is a 100% guarantee, a 5 year warranty, and help via the company's local offices, email or phone.

Anyone working toward a goal with their weight is going to benefit from this one. I already talked myself out of eating a donut, and Homer Simpson has nothing on me when it comes to loving a good donut.

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.

Monday, November 17, 2014

**REVIEW** Dead Sea Mud Mask

I know that I said I was taking a break from the skincare products, but... I needed something to pamper my face after testing all of the other items. This mud mask from InstaNatural kind of surprised me. It's their Dead Sea Mud Mask.

100% natural
 I've only regularly used one other mud mask treatment that I liked - because I'm not a huge fan of facial masks. The thing about this one that surprised me (nicely) was that there was absolutely zero smell. Not a nice one, not a funky one, not one that made me want to throw the jar and run away screaming. There is just no odor that I could detect. Good. You know how I am about that.

The ingredients list was the second surprise. For one thing, the Dead Sea mud was (heh heh) dead first. For another thing, the list is nice and short. I counted 11 items. And I can pronounce every one of them.) That makes the whole 'zero scent' thing kind of weird. You'd think I'd be able to smell at least a couple of these ingredients, right?

Unless I'm pronouncing that last ingredient wrong...
The third thing that I didn't expect at all is how much clearer this mask is on the skin. Usually, masks are super thick and chalky. This one went on in a thin coating.


You can see by my forehead that the mask is still damp in spots.

My "You drank all the coffee?" look

At the same time that I was thinking that it was nice not to have such a thick coat of mud on my face, I decided that more must be better, and I had to resist slathering on more product.

Doesn't it look as if it would be really thick?


 I'm glad that I resisted adding more. The amount I used was just fine. As it dried, it still didn't look as chalky and "cracking" as other masks. I worried that it might not be working but, when I rinsed my face, my skin did have that deeply-cleaned feeling. My face wasn't overly dried out (thank goodness) even when I waited ten minutes to moisturize.

Even though this mask is supposed to be good for blemishes and acne, my sensitive and combination skin didn't have a problem with it. As far as evening out my skin tone, I will have to use it more and on a regular basis before I can let you know about that.

This was a good mask treatment for me. I think of it as one that I could use regularly if I wanted and not have to worry about drying out my skin. (Note that the label warns about over-use!) The other mask I use is also a favorite, but I use it about once a month because it seems somehow stronger. Now that I have this one, I will be able to rotate the two.

Here's another plus with this mask. It comes in a huge 16-oz jar. Remember that I mentioned how little I used and got results? This is going to last me for a long while, and I will probably end up sharing it with my niece and sister. It's a good value for my beauty budget - which I have jokingly labelled in Excel as PoorButPretty.

As always, InstaNatural backs their products with wonderful customer service and a 100% money-back guarantee. Win-win, right?

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.

Saturday, November 15, 2014

**GIVEAWAY** Winner Announcement


We have a winna!




Thanks to all of you who participated. The winner is +Angela Monique Robinson & I'm really excited that she will get to try the Old Factory Candles.

As my first giveaway experience was kind of fun, I think I will be doing more of them in the future.

Peace
--Free

**REVIEW** Vaseline Intensive Care Advanced Repair

My Influenster Vox Box came the other day so I got to try out Vaseline's Intensive Care Advanced Repair.

my thanks to Influenster
When I first looked over the label, other than wanting to rap the rhyming name of this lotion ...

Gimme a beat!
"Intensive care
Advanced Repair"



see the little droplets?
... I noticed that that the product is contains "micro-droplets pf Vaseline Jelly". That put me off a little because I always get a too-shiny look from Vaseline Jelly. I don't like that too-shiny look. For one thing, I am too dark skinned to walk around shining like new money. (My nickname is Penny, after all...)

Because I am all about giving peace products a chance, and because having a shine that will wash off is not the worst thing that can happen and because I took an especially warm shower that dried out my skin... I went ahead with the dry skin test.

Oh, yeah. Forgot to tell you about that. Included in my Vox Box was a little "diagnostic tool". Okay, that might have come out sounding too techy. The tool is really just a card with a couple of detachable strips to test the Before and After state of my skin. It was pretty cool.

my skin wasn't too bad..




While I liked this when I first put it on, I did feel that it was not nearly moisturizing enough. I mean, this is winter time when my skin tends to dry out LOTS. I did go ahead and continue to use this for the week, just to give it a fair trial. Surprisingly, the more I used it, the better it seemed to work. By about Day Three, I noticed that my knees (one of the "ashier" parts of my body) didn't seem as dry by bedtime. My elbows didn't do quite as well. They weren't as dry as usual, but my glycerin does better (and that may be because I tend to lean on my elbows when sitting at a table to write or read). Still, I like the overall results of this lotion after some regular use.

The one thing I don't like is that this is a little bit shiny on the skin when applied. It takes about fice or six minutes before that shine goes away. I still detected a little bit of a sheen afterwards. That fading of the shiny-ness might be from the lotion absorbing into the skin.Maybe? However, as far as effectiveness, I didn't get immediate results, but there was improvement with regular application. I wasn't crazy about the smell, but it's not very strong and it does fade.

My feet are the absolute desert of my body. That was sort of an accidental test for how this lotion works better with continued use. Since I was using the lotion on the rest of my body, I also used it on these dawgs of mine. Every night, I moisturize my feet either with glycerin or petroleum jelly, then put on socks. This will allow me to get through most of the next day without having to re-moisturize my feet. While I was testing out this lotion, I skipped the other products because, well, basically I'm lazy. By bedtime, I just want to get bedded down quick as I can so I can watch TV and crash. What I noticed after a few days of using the Intensive Care is that my feet were still pretty decent by the next night. I still used more lotion and the socks, but there was that improvement.

For my body care needs, I don't think that I will trade my regular moisturizer for this one, but I am going to keep using it on my feet.

If you are willing to give this a try, make sure to give it at least a few days before you judge results. It could depend on the type of climate you live in. In ours (cold outside, too warm and dry inside), I needed time to get results but once I did, well, I was kind of impressed. I do wish the lotion didn't leave that shine though.

Peace
--Free

**UPDATE** My sister used this for a couple of days and says she doesn't like it. She says it's nice when it goes on but does not last long at all. The main thing she doesn't like is that it feels "thin" to her. She actually uses another Vaseline lotion so I was surprised when she disliked this one.  The other lotion she uses is her favorite because it lasts so long and leaves her hands soft even after washing.

DISCLOSURE:
I received this product at no cost in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Thursday, November 13, 2014

**REVIEW** and **GIVEAWAY** Old Factory Candles

Part 1 - The Review

I've been wanting to do a giveaway for a long time, wanted to wait for just the right item. I don't have thousands of blog readers, but the readers I have are loyal. Time to do something nice for you guys.

My opportunity comes courtesy of a company that makes one of my favorite things: candles! Not just candles, but soy candles. Not just soy candles, but soy candles of the coolest fragrance varieties I've ever heard of. Old Factory Candles has it covered.

Can you tell that I'm just a little bit excited about this? (When the package arrived yesterday, I think I scared our mailman!)

There are several reasons that I'm so happy to do these candles as a giveaway & these are the top 3:
  • The crazy-cool-scents are just all over the place & smack on realistic.
  • The candles are soy and hand poured (aka: long-lasting) & USA made.
  • Uses pure fragrance oils.
Now. You guys know how I am about scents and cents, right? Well, I have you covered with these candles. Like I said, the scents are so creative. I think there's something for every mood, memory or mania. For instance, for myself, I chose the "50 Shades" which includes "Leather", "Jasmine Bubbles", and "Vanilla Sex". 

50 Shades of being single
Now, go pick your mind up out of that gutter. I went for this set mainly because I adore Jasmine and Vanilla scents (and I figured I could use the Leather scent for a Christmas gift).

Talk about getting these scents being smack on. I expected "Leather" to be some kind of moody take on the idea. No. This "Leather" smells exactly like leather. If I wanted to pass off some fake pleather Foach bag off as the real thing, I'd smear this inside. If I want to call up memories of the time my boyfriend hugged me while wearing his new Cowboys jacket, all I have to do is light this candle. #GottaPauseForThisMemory...

I don't particularly want to remember that particular boyfriend, but if you have better memories of leather that you'd rather not share with the world, this candle will go all Eagles on you and Take It to the Limit.

To my surprise, of the 3 scents in 50 Shades, Jasmine Bubbles was my favorite. It's so sensual in a different way than the Vanilla Sex. More perfume-y, I think, which I really like. But, just like I said, all three of the scents hit it square. The vanilla is reminds me more of an old-fashioned cake made from scratch than from anything I smell at Starbucks. Just really, really organic.

These really do burn clean and since I've had Jasmine lit for the past hour and a half, I can from checking that I'll get a lot or hours out of it. The scent is noticeable but not overwhelming and I'm sitting in a smaller room of the house. 

One other way that I use soy candles (not that I'm recommending it for anyone else) is as a body perfume. I just rub my finger across the surface of an unlit one and then rub that onto my pulse points. You'll notice that this is something you can do with a soy candle and not a regular wax one. Just thought I'd toss that in here. Anyway...

Remember I mentioned cents? That's because of the great pricing. Each candle in the trio is 2 ounces (for a 20 hour burn). Less than $8.50 a candle of this quality is awesome. And if you aren't happy with them, you can return them - at Old Factory's expense - and get a full refund. (NOTE: you won't be returning them. Trust me.)

Now. Getting back to the variety of scents, here's what I'm talking about


I want Lemongrass next


There's the Leather again...


Is it crazy that I KNOW who'd like each of these?
 If you're like me, you looked at those sets and immediately started putting faces of people you know next to each one - maybe for gifts? Personally, I'm torn between a few of them. The Lemongrass sounds good, but I think I really want the New Born Baby set. Not that I'm hinting...

These would make great gifts even if, like me, you plan on sharing only one of the set. The jars are labelled so nicely - neither too fem nor too 'industrial' - that they will appeal to anyone. But if you do give someone the whole set, the packaging is really nice.




Easy to giftwrap (or can have it delivered gift-wrapped)
Includes a free eBook on aromatherapy
Part 2 - The Giveaway


I know you probably skimmed past everything else in this post to get to this part... There are a few simple rules:

  1. You must have a U.S. shipping address*, an email address**, and
  2. You must have an Amazon account (If you don't have a Prime acct for shipping, your s&h will be reimbursed via PayPal)
  3. Be the first to respond*** on THIS Google Plus post with a comment on whether you plan to enjoy these candles yourself or gift them to someone special. (Because I'm nosy!) After G+, I am posting to Facebook.
That's it. The first eligible person to respond with a comment will be the winner. I will announce the lucky winner the day after this giveaway ends.

Peace
--Free

DISCLOSURE:
I received my product free in exchange for a fair and honest review.

*Apologies to readers with non-U.S. shipping addresses. Depending on how this one goes, I will try to offer future giveaways for other readers.
**I will share this email address with the company supplying the product to the winner.
***I will use the time stamps on comments to choose the first eligible winner. 

**REVIEW** Niacinamide Vit B3 Moisturizer (InstaNatural)


InstaNatural has great products and outstanding customer service and customer rapport. Naturally (heh heh), I was happy to give another one of their products a try. This time is was the Niacinamide Vitamin B3 Moisturizer.


I had to remind myself that this is a night cream because that's not mentioned on the front of the bottle. Also, the instructions indicate that it's best used "morning and night" - which was confusing. Because it is so very rich though, I used it primarily as a night cream anyway. As I've mentioned in other posts of late, I was using so many skin products - one right after the other - at the time that I reviewed this. That might be why I found that I became sensitive to this before the end of the first week's use. I had to wait a bit before I could resume using for this review.

That said, this is one of the best moisturizers that has Vitamin C in it. In my opinion face care potions that do include Vitamin C can be a little bit much and I usually test them out on an every-other-day schedule. This one has Vitamin B3 in the ingredients and I'm thinking that helped make it a little less harsh than other creams. The other thing I like about this one is how clean it smells.

I'm not really sure if this "plumped" my skin at all, but I know that it did help to keep it feeling hydrated through the night. That's a big deal for me because our winter's are normally cold enough that we run our heat pretty high. Heat is always draining to my skin - even humid heat tends to make my face feel salty and in need of more moisture. I can't testify to the relief of dark spots, hyperpigmentation and uneven skin tone issues, but I notice that it does seem to be balancing out my normally combination dry/oily T-zone. (Did that make sense? Hope so.)

I had a friend try this out for a few days to get some feedback from someone with an oilier skin type. She loves this because she says it really helped moisturize without aggravating her skin. When I took a closer look at the ingredients, I noticed that this contains Avocado oil (which my friend uses) and Evening Primrose oil, which I've heard is good for soothing the skin. Apparently, this is a perfect product for my friend.

This cream seems like it's going to work well for me when I'm not using any other Vitamin C creams and serums. I figure I will be able to use this one on a more regular basis then. That will be nice because, like I mentioned, I love how moisturizing it is, and I'm going to need that for the winter.

As always, I want to mention that InstaNatural offers a 100% Money Back Lifetime Guarantee. I can tell you that I have always received prompt attention to any questions I might have about their products. 

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.

Wednesday, November 12, 2014

**REVIEW** Priority Chef Citrus Squeezer

Okay, this is a product that was out of my normal range of items to review. I wanted to try it though because of my healthier eating habits. I've discussed before how I do a lot of juicing to get a good intake of fruits and vegetables. My blender is awesome for when I want to do a large amount of juicing, but I don't always want a large amount of what my nephew likes to call "mulch". (Yes, he does think he's funny.)

Because I do my juicing in the blender on a sort of two-weeks-a-month schedule (and do a non-"mulch" diet the rest of the time), I wanted something for the times when I only want a cupful of juice. Sometimes, we ladies at the house just need enough lemon or lime juice for a recipe. Never mind that those "recipes" usually involve tequila and salt! Ha.

Enter this handy gadget:
Sturdy piece of equipment
That's the Priority Chef Citrus Squeezer that you can find on Amazon. (Keep that in mind for later...)

First thing I thought when I opened up the box was that the squeezer was bigger than I expected. And really sturdy. It's stainless steel so there's nothing flimsy about it - which is a good thing because it's large enough to handle larger-sized lemons, limes and even small oranges.


A standard tape dispenser for scale

By the way, the box it comes in is perfect for gift-wrapping. And I know a lot of folks who need this for their fresh drinks, I mean, juices.


At first, I thought this was tiring to use until someone let me know I was holding it all wrong! This might be silly of me to admit, but this is the first manual juicer I've ever used. It took me a couple tries to get the hang of holding it correctly but, once I did, I managed to ring enough juice from one lime to handle more than a few drinks! Seriously. And no more tiring out my hands like before. Duh. What's kind of cool is that it's not messy - I had expected. I've watched other people use juicers that drip everywhere. This one totally inverts the fruit and with that deep-dip design, all the juice runs into the measuring cup.

I can see some of the lushes in my family putting this to a lot of use. Meanwhile, I will maintain my healthier habits... Heh heh. At any rate, the stainless steel design is going to be great for tossing this in the dishwasher without worrying about rust and wear.

Now, here's a nice little extra for you readers: You can go over and get a $7.00 discount if you use this code to order on Amazon. That's courtesy the nice folks at Priority Chef. Cool, huh? Here's the code for your $7.00 coupon: CITR7OFF

Enjoy and don't drink too much "juice"! LOL

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** Age Delay Serum (by Morea Naturals)

For a product with a long name - Hyaluronic Acid Age Delay Serum with Vitamin C + Green Tea - this works fairly simply.

loooong name, good results

One of the reasons I wanted to try it out was for the claim that it would make my skin instantly "glow". I can tell you that the minute I first applied it, I could feel something happening, and I was a little bit concerned because that "something happening" was a sort of tingling sensation. I wondered what that tingling meant - that I was allergic? or just that my skin was too sensitive for this serum? - but it wasn't too intense so I just applied some of my usual moisturizer over it. That took care of the tingling. The next time I tried it, I waited to before applying any moisturizer - just to see how long the tingle would last. Not long. It seems as if the sensation abates as soon as this dries.

My skin had been having a "dull" look for a while - as it does at the start of every of cold weather season, when the outside temp goes down and the indoor heat goes up - and after probably the second or third use of the Hyaluronic serum I noticed a little bit of relief from that. After about a week and a half, I could tell that my skin was not as dull. I haven't been using it as faithfully since that (just off and on) because of other products I'm trying out. I want to get on a regimen with it later to see if it does help boost the collagen levels in my skin - or at least from what I'll be able to notice visibly!

Overall, I really like this product quite a bit. Since this is a serum, and even though it provides moisture, I still use my regular moisturizer over it and, since it has Vitamin C in it, I make sure my moisturizer has sunscreen. I do think that because of my sensitive skin, I'll have to use on a on/off basis. That goes for most products with Vitamin C in it though.

This is not the first product I have tried from Morea Naturals, and I'm always happy with the brand and product stance. Finally, you might notice that this is not nearly as expensive as most serums of the same good quality. That's always a bonus, right? Plus, it's made in the USA. And then there's the Money Back Guarantee, just in case this doesn't work for you.

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.

Doing a Giveaway!

My
first ever giveaway is happening tomorrow & you're going to 


it. 


The giveaway item is amazing. You can read my review of it in tomorrow's Giveaway post. In order to win, you'll need to comment on my Google Plus posting. If you don't know where to find me on G+, here I am:



This is going to be a quick-win situation, so be ready.

Peace
--Free

Tuesday, November 11, 2014

**REVIEW** iArrow Tempered Glass Screen Protector (Galaxy S5)

This is the screen protector by iArrow -



It's got some good qualities so less look at the ones I liked right off:
  • Clear as, well, glass. It really could be invisible to the glance.
  • Unlike some other protectors, it didn't hamper the touch screen capability at all
  • Comes packaged really nicely so that it doesn't get all bent up in transit.
  • The price (currently $10.99) is incredible for a quality protector.
  • Comes with a double guarantee (in case you are as slow as I am).
Okay. It's a pretty cool screen protector, and I could not get over how clear it was. Plus, it's such a reasonable price.  However, I have one issue with it too.

Although the protector is super duper clear, that's only in the places where it went on smoothly. Normally, with a protector, you get the kit that contains a fiber cleaning cloth, maybe some sticky dust-removing tabs, and that little card-thingy to smooth out all the bubbles. Somehow I was missing the cloth so I had to use one of my own - it was not that great. Apparently. I ended up with a couple of dust bubbles that, because they were near the edge, left my protector with a couple of loose corners. 

Back to the best about this: the clarity. I swear that the phone screen looked better (in the places where the protector adhered) than when the phone was unboxed. And, while I am extremely careful with my cell phones (no drops or spills for me!), I do tend to slide them into purses and tuck them into my bras and computer bags where the screen can get scratched up. This seems like it would do the trick. If it stayed on. Unfortunately, either because I am stupid (could be), or I needed a better cleaning cloth, I ended up removing this.

To summarize: I do think that I was somewhat at fault for mis-applying the product. If you want a screen protector that will also leave you with a clear and beautiful screen, this is a great product at a really good price. It sure beats those cheaply made, flimsy protectors that I've used in the past. I've seen horrible quality protectors at local drugstores that cost as much as $12.

If you are like me and could really love this, but have any problems with it, there is a "Double Guarantee" - which means iArrow will not only refund your purchase price but also send you a replacement screen protector. (I got mine in exchange for this review, so I don't really feel right asking for a replacement. #dangmyconscience)

Peace
--Free

P.S.: I had to update this with a note about the excellent follow-up customer service from the actual co-founder. He wanted to check on my satisfaction with the product. That's pretty cool, right? To me, the people behind a product says a whole lot about whatever that product is. I have to add a star for this kind of attention.

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.

Monday, November 10, 2014

**REVIEW** Orthopedic CushionCare Memory Foam Seat Cushion

This is one product that I did not fully review for myself. My sister is the one who needed this she was the ultimate judge.

By the way, this is my sister

My sister & I (with her son looking enthusiastic)
She's a pretty amazing person. Despite the fact that she is stuck in a wheelchair for about 70% of her waking hours, she stays busy cooking, cleaning, chasing our toddler nephew around the house and, well, doing more than most of us who aren't in a wheelchair. (Actually, there are some days she makes the rest of us look downright lazy!)

Since she's stuck in that chair, we are always looking for ways to make it more comfortable. We have tried different pads and cushions and, one time, a niece and I even tried making a cushion. I'd show you pictures of the one we made but it kind of fell apart after a couple of days. Besides, it was so ugly that Stephen King could write books about it. Anyway. The cushion that comes standard with the chair wouldn't be awful if it wasn't in constant use. After a few months, it breaks down and feels like there is just the barest support. My sister has actually had more discomfort from sitting in her chair than from the issues that put her in the chair.

Enter the CushionCare Memory Foam Seat Cushion.

I wish the photo was 3D
 My sister is using this, but you know that I just had to do a little bit of a try out.

Except my car hasn't been this clean since it left the showroom
And, of course, my niece gave it a try in her office chair.

She works from home, so add a few toys and crumbs
In our real life (where our cars aren't ever clean during the winter and a crazed toddler has marked all the other chairs as his personal territory), but this is what the CushionCare looks like in the wheelchair.

this chair has some mileage, let me tell ya!
My sister (and her butt) are very happy!

This is the standard cushion she's been using:
matches the chair, but not the most comfy
Notice that the standard cushion is sized to fit the chair. That's helpful when my sister is using her transfer board -

this is the simplest & best idea ever
- to move from the wheelchair to, say, the car's passenger seat. She was a little worried that she'd have problems with the CushionCare cushion. She thought it might shift around or not meet the edge of her board. We did a test transfer from the chair to the car and from the chair to other seating she uses. We had no problems with that at all. As a matter of fact, the CushionCare didn't slide around as much as the standard cushion. I think that has to do with the cover material.

Since this review is based on my sister's use, I should tell you what she says she loves the most:

No, we didn't cut up the cushion!
Notice the contours.
The cushion is shaped in such a way that (forgive me for being sort of crude) her butt gets some air. Also the raised part offers nice support for her thigh area. This is awesome for someone that can't brace or adjust their sitting weight by shifting their feet. Because... no feet. (Humor is our therapy, people! Remind me to tell you about the time a woman in a shoe store almost slapped me for joking with my sister about which tennis shoes she liked best...)

All kidding (mostly) aside. We grew up attending a Holiness church. And if you've ever gone to church that started just after breakfast and ended somewhere around dinnertime, you might understand what it feels like to sit in a wheelchair all day. I sometimes imagine that my sister has flashbacks to those days we spent in church. And we didn't have seat cushions. Or air conditioning. Just those paper fans with pictures of MLK, JFK and Jesus on them...

Sorry. I got distracted for a moment. Back to the review.

Sis says that the foam in the cushion in so comfortable that she wishes there was a matching pad for the back of her chair. Speaking of backs... My sister wanted the comfort provided for her butt, but (ha!) this cushion provides amazing back relief. According to my sister, her back just didn't feel so strained and tired as it usually does.

As you can see from the product photos, anyone can benefit from the support this cushion provides. I'm sure this is a wonderful solution for folks who do a lot of driving or who spend hours at a desk, but I'm glad that we've found something for my sister to use in her wheelchair. I'm hoping that word gets around to healthcare providers so they can recommend to their clients.

Because this cushion will get so much use, it's great that it is machine washable. Also, there is an excellent lifetime guarantee.

This is one of those products that is so good I had to write a thank you to the company for letting me (my sister) try it.

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.

Friday, November 07, 2014

**REVIEW** Sano Vitamin C Serum & Eye Gel

Because I've been trying out so many facial products, I had to take a break and let my skin rest before I even wanted to post about them! #firstworldproblems.

I was a little bit surprised by a duo of products I've been using and keeping notes about:




I love when things come in sets. This one comes from the Sano Naturals brand that is also sold on Amazon. I have learned elsewhere online that a very loose meaning of "Sano" is "healthy". At any rate, I like what Sano has to say about their brand. Now on to these products I tried:

First. let's talk about the Serum.

Some days, I get patches of dryness on my cheeks and around the sides of my nose and I don't want to use anything labeled "anti-aging". A lot of anti-aging products can be somewhat drying. I think this is because they are sloughing away old dead skin cells. That's all good, but I hate dry patches anyway. My surprise with this serum is that for something containing hyaluronic acid, it turned out to be as gentle as it was. I think this is because the formula also includes aloe. Smart move. My skin loves aloe because it is as soothing as my mother always told me it would be. Another thing that is different from other Vitamin creams I've used is that this one is so much thicker. This is a clear serum that took just one tap to soak my fingertip because of the moistness and consistency. That's good when it comes to not applying too much. And this product isn't cheap so you're going to want to be stingy with the applications. Or maybe that's just me and my broke self! Maybe you'll be able to just glob it on!

 Of course, I'm kidding. This is expensive, and I am stingy with my applications but, even if you can afford to, you won't need to over-apply. I hate using this tired old saying but, it's true that a little bit goes a long way. I do wish that with expensive products, there were more options as to container size. Thank goodness it works the way it promises. I don't have lots of lines and wrinkles, but I have had bouts with areas of dull-looking skin. (I blame it on winter. I blame everything on winter.) This serum delivers on the "revitalizing" promise. I'll use it intermittently throughout winter as I need to.

Now, on to the eye cream - which was actually an optional product for me to try out in addition to the main feature of the serum. Glad I did try it because I like it more than most eye creams I've tried. For one thing, it's not greasy or heavy - something I hate for an eye moisturizer. No one wants to have that sticky kind of feeling that you have to blot away before applying eye makeup. This eye cream is light and moisturizing. With a lot of eye creams, I will apply them a while before I do my eye makeup - just to make sure I'm not going to have that streaky effect. When I used this one, I noticed that it had absorbed withing moments. Everywhere I applied it (eyes, cheeks and forehead, because the instructions say I can) was soft but not sticky. It's hard to explain but the ladies who wear eye makeup know what I mean. This is important to me because I do like to use an eye cream - especially in the morning.

Both products are on the pricey side but, using my formula for judging what's "expensive" or not, they are more affordable in the long run. Okay, I don't really have a "formula". What I have is a simple system that I apply when buying necessities: 
A pair of $10 shoes might end up costing you way more than a pair of $100 shoes. As long as the $100 pair is worth it. Think about how much comfortable use you can get out of a good pair of shoes. Think about the damage to your feet you cause by wearing a bad pair of shoes. Then think about how often you will need to replace that cheap pair.
(Now, if you can ever score a great pair of shoes for $10, remember that I wear a size 7 1/2 to 8. )

When you opt for a more expensive product, you hope to get what you pay for. With these products, you will. And it's very easy to go light on the applications to make them last longer.

I just noticed that Sano is offering a discount on Amazon if you use the code they currently have posted on the product page. (This limited offer is mentioned in the product description section.)

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.

Tuesday, November 04, 2014

Struggling and Coping

This morning on Twitter, I caught up with someone I connected with long ago during my first days online. This is a smart, go-get-em kind of woman. It seems that she, like me, is going through some trials. I know that she, like me, is going to come through just fine. But, probably, for both of us - for anyone- it`s not knowing how strong you are before a struggle, or that you will be better afterwards, it's that whole period of 'getting through' it. The being in it. The whole truth of these periods of struggle - which always feel like a battle to hang on to the best of what you are - is that you have to go it alone. The only thing you have is your faith and your trust.

So, to my buddy from way back (you know who you are), I don't know what you're going through. I don`t know how you feel while  you`re getting through, but I know that you can make it through.

My current struggle? Fatigue from and exasperation with this damn sarc. Trying to focus through this haze that clouds my mind every time I attempt to write or pray or just think. I figure I'm getting a couple hours of energy each day (at the most) to spend time enjoying my family, keep up with the blog, and taking care of myself. The rest of the time, it`s a terrible effort to do anything. Sleeping doesn't help because I'm not tired. I'm not tired, I'm simply fatigued and fogged.

I need this on a t-shirt
When you get an odd disease, one that's not so recognized and understood in general, your doctors do all they can to fight the progression. You get medicine to keep you alive - and, in my case, to keep me from walking into walls. What you don`t get is lessons in how to cope with the damage that`s been done. Or how not to be so irritable that you begin to hate yourself.

They got a drug for brain fog?
No decent person would expect someone on crutches to run, a blind person to drive, or a mute person to "speak up". It's tough for people to know that I have a disease that comes with its own issues. I don't realize that I'm annoying because I might be asking you the same question now that I asked 10 minutes ago. If I get quiet and still in my body because that helps my mind get quiet and still then, yes, I might get edgy when you pierce that quiet and stillness with a lots of loud noise.

Stop. Please. Or at least PAUSE.
 
Because, while my disease is being treated, no one is teaching me how to cope. I am learning as I go and the going gets ugly. Having to concentrate so hard when I do anything - drive, clean, write, read, pay bills, make appointments- is tiring.

Before this disease, writing was my coping therapy. I wrote short stories and long stories and even novels and, whether they were never going to be read by another person, they were my therapy. Now I can`t even keep grasp of one thought long enough to weave it to another. Before, if I wasn't writing, I was reading. I still read, but listening to audio books is better because, somehow, hearing stays with me longer than reading. If I don`t get frustrated because the audio is more 'noise' than I can take sometimes.


I can deal with most of my symptoms, but this fatigue piled on top of it all is too much. Not being able to sleep well - or to feel rested when you do sleep - and not being able to find the energy to function when you are awake is just too much. I have been meaning to clean the bathroom for over a week now. I did spray cleaner on the shower walls yesterday. That's something. I rinse today. Maybe.

So. I am struggling, but that in itself is a positive. Struggle is action. Prayer is medicine. God is good. This struggle, this fatigue, this strain are just symptoms. They are not the whole of me. My main coping mechanism is one that can't be polluted: faith. I have faith that this, all of this, will pass.

Peace
--Free

P.S.: I promise that the whine session is now over. I'm going to try to get back to posting reviews asap. I have just finished a couple weeks of trying out and using 3 products. Just have to get my notes together. You now know how that will go!