It's That Time of The Year Again...

Yup! It's fall and Thanksgiving has officially come and gone. What does that usually mean for me? A lot of things. Most years we have family come here from out of town and this year was no different. My Mother and Father--in-Law and my Sister--in-Law and her boyfriend came for a visit this year. I did my usual turkey with all the delicious sides. I might do a blog entry dedicated to my turkey recipe later but, for now, this entry is about something totally different.

I always get stressed out this time of year because I have a lot of work ahead of me. Which, for me, usually means that I will get sick in one way or another. I tend to get Bronchitis, a sinus infection and some kind of viral thing. I managed to make it through Thanksgiving healthy last year but, ended up getting sick for Christmas, if memory serves. But, over the past nearly 3 years, I have been taking probiotics and immune builders. They really have saved me. Instead of being sick for up to 5 months (from October to March or later) I was only sick for less than 2 weeks last year. A first, for me, since I could remember. I even managed to avoid catching the swine flu from my hubby and his 2 friends when they all had it at the same time. But, that was about 3 or so weeks ago. We threw a party a couple weeks ago and there was another party in the cold night air, in my cul'd'sac in front of my house the week before that. So, I have been a busy girl this season and let myself get run down. I caught a nasty cold 2 days before Thanksgiving. I was really sick the day before when I had to spend the day making my baked goods. My Apple Pie and my Pumpkin Cheesecake Swirl Pie, while delicious, took much longer to make because I had a runny nose all day and was feeling sluggish and just not at all well. So, I really expected to be feeling like a cross hair in a dog's butt today (Thanksgiving) and was not looking forward to my day of meal preparation. But, in addition to my probiotics and immune builders, I started using a Neti Pot. For those of you who don't know what that it, it is a small, blue tea pot shaped plastic thing. You put a package of their saline solution in the pot and fill it to the line with luke warm water and you put it in one nostril, tip your head and pour the solution into that nostril. The solution flows through that nostril and out through your other one by way of your nasal passage. It cleans out and dries out your nasal passage which either helps keep you healthy or makes you healthy sooner. I used it 3 or 4 times throughout the day Thanksgiving Eve and, like magic, I was so much better Thanksgiving day (today). I couldn't believe how much better I already was. Granted, by the end of the night, I was feeling a little worse for the wear but, I tend to feel worse at night when I am sick, than any part of the day. So, I used my Neti Pot 2 more times today and, right now, I am feeling pretty good again. I am looking forward to seeing how I feel tomorrow! After almost 37 years of my life, I think I finally have the key to either preventing illness, or kicking it quicker once I do get sick.

Now, as for any discomfort while using the Neti Pot...there really isn't any. I can't describe it. You really have to try it yourself. It takes some getting used to but, if I can handle it, anyone can. There isn't any pain. Just, fresh air when you are done. The relief is amazing. I will say that you won't feel that much relief if you are using it the first day you are all stuffed up or drippy nosed from a bad cold but, the next day...AMAZING! I woke up this morning fully expecting to start hacking a lung with a severe cough and either all stuffed up or for my nose to be draining like a sieve... as it normally would be but, nothing. A few minor coughs here and there and a need to blow my nose a few times throughout the day but, in light of how horrible I normally feel the 3rd day of a bad cold, I kind of felt like a new person. Even in comparison to the day before.

So, I highly recommend people spend the $14 or more to get the Neti Pot. It saved my Thanksgiving and, who knows how many sick days it has already saved me.

All hail the Neti Pot!

Awww....

New Brows!!!

Drum roll please! Behold...my new brows! This is not the best picture of me but, it will do! The point is my eye brows! Finally! I can get up and get out of the house without having to draw my eye brows on. I still feel a need to put on some eyeliner, foundation and blush but, I would feel fairly more confident leaving the house without any makeup on now. And, starting in March, I will finally be able to go swimming without worrying that I will have a bald forehead. The reason I have to wait till March is to give my brows the proper 6 month healing time. And, the chlorine and chemicals in pool water can damage my brows before that time so, I will wait. But, rest assured...when those 6 months have finally passed, I will take full advantage of it!

Affinity Stoneworks

The first and second pictures are of the finished product. The third picture is a close-up shot of back splashes and granite. The forth picture is a great shot of my island. We love the beautiful knot center left of the island. The fifth picture is the kitchen before with the white laminate and no back splashes.

Note: Sorry that these pictures are not in order from before to after. I set them up that way but, that isn't the way the ended up.

And now...our story!
Wow! I have a new kitchen. After 8 years of living here and roughly 5 years, give or take, of trying to figure out what we wanted to do, the hubby and I finally got new granite counter tops and back splashes in our kitchen. We had white laminate and painted walls before. This is our first house so, we didn't really know how much the extras really enhance things until we saw it in other people's homes.

So, since practically the beginning, we talked about having new counter tops and back splashes done. We started thinking seriously about it 5 years, give or take, ago. But, we were stymied by what exactly we wanted. It was between Corian, Granite and Silestone. I spent lots of time reading up on all 3 materials but, if there are 10 good things about each, there are equally as many bad things about each. So, then we narrowed it down to Granite or Silestone. Again...the good and the bad were equal. In the end, Granite won out because I don't like the speckled patterns in Silestone. They can not duplicate the beautiful linear patterns of the Granite in Silestone. So, after a very long time of searches, culminating in frustration which always resulted in the project falling by the waist side, we finally got our acts together and made our granite decision.

It all started around a month ago when the hubby said that this is the year we do the kitchen. The biggest reason is because I am between jobs right now and have ample time to stay home for people to come and do work. So, I set out to figure out which we wanted. Granite versus Silestone. Once I made my decision, I set out to find the pattern. I looked online and found something I thought that I would like and got pricing from a popular home repair company. We were about to pull the trigger and have them come and do the job when the hubby suggested I go to Affinity Stoneworks to look at some of their granite to make sure that there wasn't another granite pattern that I liked better. I didn't see anything I fell in love with at Affinity so they sent me to their warehouse, G&L Marble. I walked through and they pointed out what they thought was comparable to the pattern I found online. It was completely different than what I thought it was. I wanted something rich chocolate brown and it was actually very pink or mauve. I was disheartened and annoyed and left not having found what I wanted. I was about to wash my hands of this project yet again, out of shear frustration. I told the hubby I wanted to be free of talking about and thinking about the project for 24 hours so I could start with a rested and cooler head. Then I asked him to come with me to the warehouse because I did see some slabs that I kind of liked but really wanted his opinion. We went on a Saturday and we finally fell head over heels for a slab. The name was Dunes and it is this perfect mixture of brown, charcoal, copper and tan and has these beautiful and unique charcoal knots throughout the slabs. We had them hold the slabs, which had previously been held by someone else. We also got an idea of what we wanted for our back splashes which was 6" x 6" tiles called Espresso and 2" x 2" inserts called Tantrum Earth. We then had them come out and tear up our white laminate and do the measurements and templates for the granite. I went and helped them place the templates on the granite where I wanted them so they could cut them the next day. The only drama was that we had to live without our kitchen for a week before they could come out and do the install. Of course, that included the sink because we picked out a new granite composite sink and new bronze faucet. That was hard to get used to because we didn't have counters or plumbing in our kitchen for a week. Really an inconvenience but well worth it.

They came and installed the counters and sink but, we still couldn't use the sink until the next day as the glue had to set. Then, the next day, they did the install of the back splash. Whew...that was a long day. They arrived around 9:15or 9:30 AM and weren't done until about 5 or 5:15 PM. We also had the same guys who did our back splashes come back the next day and do recessed lighting for us. Our original lighting was one hideous florescent light above our Island, one recessed light above our sink and one hanging light over our kitchen table. We had 8 can lights installed which really brightens the kitchen and they are so much more modern than the awful florescent light the contractor installed when they built my house 8 years ago. The last thing we need done is to repaint my ceiling. My kitchen is a celadon green and the ceiling is a lighter shade of that green. So light, in fact, that most people think that it is white until we point it out...or you see the difference from the white rectangle left behind from the florescent light.

So, if you live in Georgia and are considering getting granite and back splashes installed in your kitchen or bathroom, go with Affinity Stoneworks http://www.affinitystoneworks.com/ They are brilliant. They are so knowledgeable. Anything I had questions about were answered on the spot. They are all very friendly and really seem to love what they do. And, if their friendly professionalism isn't enough to snag you, their reasonable prices should. We got estimates from 2 other vendors, both chains and commonly known home repair companies, and Affinity's prices were about 70% less for everything: laminate removal and haul away, granite, install, sink and disposal removal and install, back splash material and install and lighting. The estimate we got from the one big chain store was just for the removal of our laminate counters and the granite and install. We can imagine that if we had also gotten an estimate for the back splash, the entire job might have been twice as much or pretty close.

3rd Time is the Charm? Fingers Crossed.

I just got my eyebrows done for the third time. I have read that it can take 3 times for some people before they get the results that they want so, I am not disheartened. In fact, the 2nd time really did take pretty well but, as I said in the previous post, half of my brows were darker than the other half. So, I went in to get my nails done this past Thursday and I had intended to make my appointment for my 3rd attempt and I was going to have her set it up for next Thursday since that would be 4 weeks since my 2nd but, she said I didn't have to wait for 4 weeks. I asked if she could do them then and she said that would be fine.

So, the experience with the 3rd attempt was not the greatest. First of all, it was more painful when she broke my skin. Then, when she got done, I noticed that my left brow was thicker in the inner corner than the right one but, I let it slide. I got home and really gave it a more thorough look and felt really uncomfortable with how uneven they both looked so, I went back to have her thicken up the inner corner of my right brow. She seemed agitated with me and I felt bad about bugging her but, this is my face and these are my brows and, I did this whole thing so that I could feel more confident with my appearance and with my brows. To ignore it and hope that it wouldn't be too noticeable would only have taken a step back and would probably have been a constant point of discomfort for me so, I can't feel to bad if I annoyed her. It is her job to do it right. Of course, that being said, I still feel bad about having annoyed her because I am not the type of person who can just let that stuff roll off my back. I hate to be a pain. All I can hope for is that she was just having a tough day, or a tough time and I was just one more thing that went somewhat wrong and maybe she has since gotten over it.

So, her suggestion this time was to use the Neosporin for only 2 days and then switch to Vaseline. She said that part of my problem is that I have oily skin and the oilier your skin is, the harder it is to get the ink to take. So, basically, if I had done this in the winter when my skin is dry, I would probably have had success sooner. Oh well! I'll survive. Another thing I think that might have caused an issue was that, when I would sleep, the Neosporin would rub off on my pillow or the bed sheet and my brows would end up dry before morning. In order to help my skin absorb the ink, I needed to keep them somewhat saturated with moisture and the Neorsporin needed to stay on. Since they would dry up probably pretty early into the night, they would then start to flake and not enough color would soak in. So, in an effort to remedy that situation, I decided to restrict my movement at night by sleeping on the couch the last two nights and my brows maintained the moisture longer which means that they didn't flake off today (3 days later) like they normally would have. I have a feeling that more color will stay this time around.

In addition to the pain this last time, they bled and oozed quite a bit. I know...gross. Sorry. But, I want people to know my experience so that they know what to expect if they ever want to have this done.

Overall, I may not have had a lot of good to say about this 3 attempt but, I am confident that this will be the last one and that I will finally have the brows I should have been born with.

Hopefully the next time I make a post about this subject, it will be with a picture of the final product and will be a glowing review of the experience! Till then, fingers crossed and wish me luck!

Eyebrows...

It has officially been one week since I got my eyebrows touched up and, I am feeling much better about them this time around. I still need to go back again for another touch-up and I am really hoping that it will be the last time. That being said, they are much better now. The color held and they are darker now. But, I need to have her touch up the inner half of both brows. The outer half of both of them are is great. But, from about the middle of my brows to the inner corners are lighter than the outer half. If my right one looked like my left one, I might not even bother to have them touched up again because that one is more noticeably not quite right. There is a spot on the inner corner that is darker and held well. From there till about the middle of my brow it is quite a bit lighter. Then from the middle of my brow to the outer corner, it is darker and looks great. I don't know how she'll go about evening everything out so that it is all one shade all the way through each brow but, I am hopeful that the 3rd time will be the charm. For now, I just use a really little bit of my brow powder to even things out. It takes probably less than 30 seconds to do my brows in the morning now. That is a far cry from the 3 to 5 minutes it used to take to draw them in and then soften them up with brow powder. Getting closer!

Brows Part II

I had my brow touch-up done yesterday and am pleased thus far but, am cautiously optimistic given how much they lightened up last time and how somewhat disappointed I ended up being. She did them in a darker color this time around and she was positive that they wouldn't lighten up as much as they did the last time. I probably should have taken pictures of how much they lightened up last time to post here so that you could all see that I wasn't exaggerating in the slightest but, I was disheartened by it so, I didn't feel like it. Anyway, I am hopeful that it takes this time and I finally have the brows I should have always had. I will post pictures of them when they have healed and lightened up. Till then, wish me luck!

Brow Update...

This is to update you all on my brows. A few days after my tattooing, the brows flaked and lightened up a lot. I have had to use makeup to darken them to a shade I feel comfortable with and will be going in tomorrow to get a touch up. That was to be expected as they do tend to lighten up after the first time. I just wasn't aware of how much they would lighten up. I have to admit that I was a bit disappointed at first but, because the outer corner of my left eyebrow is still fairly dark, I am encouraged by that and have faith that they will turn out exactly how I want them. I just really hope it will happen this time so I don't have to wait another month to go back and get them touched up again.

My understanding is that, at some point, your brows become saturated with only as much color as it can take and, no matter how much more color you keep tattooing on at that one appointment, it just won't take any more.

So, we'll see. Wish me luck. I really would love to be able to set aside my eyebrow powder and brush all together.

Eyebrows...

For practically as long as I can remember I have had to draw my eyebrows in because I have a genetic disease that causes me to continuously lose the hair on my eyebrows. The older I get, the less hair I have on my brows. I get that disease from my Mom's side of the family. It wasn't so horrible when I was a teenager because I still had a respectable amount of brow. I still needed to draw them in a bit but, not as much as the past decade...give or take some time. My natural hair color is really light blond so, what little hair I had left was nearly invisible. In order to go out of the house, I would have to draw my brows on or wear a baseball hat to mask the lack of brows. I couldn't go swimming and dunk my head under the water because my brow would disappear leaving my forehead embarrassingly naked. I know that vanity is an unattractive quality but, as much as I would love to be a bigger person and just suck it up and be fabulously browless in public...I just couldn't.

So, several years ago, the trend of Permanent Makeup got under way. I had seen pictures of women, and some men, who had their brows "tattooed" on with Permanent Makeup but, they didn't really look that great to me and I worried that, if I tried to have it done, maybe I wouldn't like it and would regret it later or, what if something went wrong and the person who did it made a mess of things leaving me with a really horrible permanent look of surprise or something worse? I also wondered about aging. What if my brow followed my wrinkles when I got older? And, what if people could tell I had them tattooed? I struggled with the decision, kept it in my mind and pondered it over and over again for many years.

Then I had a visit with my nieces and nephew a couple weeks ago. We went swimming in the pool in my subdivision and the kids had a blast with my hubby. They played in the water as I waded in the water. They made little innocent comments about me not dunking my head in the water and I was too ashamed to explain to them how embarrassing it would be for me to lose my eyebrows and let my unbeautifully bald forehead stand out. They got closer to my hubby which, I love because I love to see them adore him like they do but, it tore my heart out to see it put a distance between me and the three of them. A couple days later we went tubing in the Chattahoochee River but, before we went, the youngest (8) told me that she wanted to tube with my hubby because he would get all the way in the water with her. Ouch! I know she didn't mean to hurt my feelings but, it did sting like no one's business.

When I was a kid, I was a water fanatic. I am by nature as I am a Pisces. It has hurt so bad for me to be missing out on the fun of what used to give me so much joy. I grew up summers on a boat and would swim every day as a kid. Now, I get in only as far as my chin before my vanity takes over.

This got me thinking even harder about Permanent Makeup for my brows. I went to my nail salon a week ago with it on my mind. They are a day spa that does the Permanent Makeup and ironically...or coincidentally, they had recently just decoratively painted some of their other services on their walls throughout the salon. They do Microdermabrasion and other services. And, as soon as I walked in, right there in colorful and eye-catching lettering is "Permanent Makeup". As I chatted with my nail guy, I asked him if anyone that worked for him had had the Permanent Makeup done and he said yes. He didn't elaborate and as I was still feeling a bit scared about it, I didn't push. Then I heard the conversation between one of the other nail techs and a client about the nail tech having had her eyebrows done. No way! What weird universe is this that, as I walk into the salon with this thought weighing heavily on my mind, they have recently painted that service on their walls and now Lena is talking about having had it done and loving it? Really either massively ironic or a crazy coincidence. Perhaps Kismet? Anyway, I got her attention and asked if I could see the work and she obliged. They looked great. Really natural and, she, unlike me, doesn't have a single hair on her brow but, you wouldn't know it to look at her.

Since the start of the Permanent Makeup trends, they have perfected the "Feathering" technique where they make it look like hairs on your brow.

I went home pondering it further. I spoke to my hubby about it and he asked how much it would cost. I hadn't asked that yet so, I called a couple of days later and found out it was a reasonable $220. I waited another few days before I told my hubby how much and told him that, at first, I wanted to wait until I got a new job before I went and had it done but, the more I thought about it, I thought maybe it would be a better time to do it while I am unemployed so that I can heal without it being an issue at work and in public. I know that there will be some scabbing, what I don't know is how bad and noticeable it might get. So, the hubby encouraged me to go for it. I made my appointment this Monday and went and had it done today!

They look great. They are dark right now but will lighten up and, they already look wonderful!

I had her do it a shade between my natural color and the color I am right now so that I can still go back to blond without looking like a freak.

So, here is how it goes. I drew them in this AM how I like them. She numbed me up with some topical Anesthetic and then she cleaned my brow up and drew it in a bit to get the right shape. We went back to the room where she does the procedure and she "Broke the skin" which was just the most minor little bit of prickly. Basically, if you rubbed sandpaper on your skin, that is sort of what it might feel like. She numbed me a little bit more with the topical and went to work. Breaking the skin hurt more than the actual tattooing. The tattooing itself sort of felt like a feather. It was a little bit more intense on the outer edges of the eyebrow as that part is closer to the bone but, it didn't hurt. I know that you would think that it would but, seriously...I have had 2 body tattoos so, I know pain and this wasn't painful at all.

The procedure...for lack of a better term...took only about a half an hour. I waited longer for the topical to kick in and for her to get the equipment ready, and for her to finish up with the client before me, than the time it took to actually do my brows.

She had me sit up to look at them and they were just slightly off. My left one was shorter than the right one so I laid back down and she extended the left one in towards my nose a little and a smidge on the outside and now, they are perfect. And, she was a perfectionist! I knew nearly right away that I had picked the right girl for the job. She was a perfectionist with drawing them in and then was a total perfectionist when she was tattooing them.

So, after this book...allow me to unveil my new brows. Sorry that I can't get a closer shot but, they came out blurry when I tried.

For anyone out there that is pondering having their brows done with Permanent Makeup...go for it. Just find a place with a good reputation. They will likely have a photo album of their work so you can browse through it.

I look forward to being able to get out of bed and head out without being so embarrassed by my browless face. Even though it will be another 6 months before I can dunk my head under water in the pool because the chlorine can lighten my brows, I look forward to the day that I can do that too! I also look forward to being able to rub or scratch my eyebrows without rubbing, scratching or smudging them and walking around looking like a mess all day. How great is this? Words cannot do it justice!

Update On SkinID...

Day 24, Sunday February 8, 2009:
Sorry it has been a while since the last time I checked in. I have had some changes in my life that have had me sort of flummoxed and off my game. I can't promise I'm back to keep this up until my 1 month SkinID anniversary but, I'll do my best.

So, it's still great. I have my first pimple right now that actually made it past the gates and has erupted but, I am ok with that. In 24 days, I have only had one pimple make it to the point of a problem? That is magnificent. The dry and flakiness is getting better and better and less and less. My skin looks smoother, healthier, it glows more and everything is improving on a day to day basis. I love my SkinID.

Until the next time...

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Day 12, Tuesday January 27, 2009:
Not bad today. And, for a day when I used the 32, color me a little impressed. Things seem to be settling down. Don't get me wrong, I still have some flaky patches but, not as bad anymore and my makeup continues to go on and stay on better and better. No more acne. No more blackheads. Just overall better skin and getting better.

As usual, see you tomorrow!

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Day 11, Monday January 26, 2009:
Since I didn't use the 32 last night, my skin was much more moisturized today. My makeup didn't crumb and cake anywhere. So, I do notice a favorable difference between days when I use the 32 and days when I don't. That being said, I notice a difference almost on a daily basis anyway, and usually in some favorable way or another.
Anyway, things continue to look better and the two strange breakouts that started Sunday are already starting to heal.

See you tomorrow!

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Day 10, Sunday January 25, 2009:
Today is ok. Not great, not horrible. Towards the end of the day yesterday, my makeup was a little crumby on my nose and chin so, I wasn't thrilled with that. Today I have something sort of red and inflamed on my right cheek and I am not sure if it is a pimple or an angry mole. I'll wait it through for a few days and see what comes of it. Maybe nothing. The rest of my face isn't too bad today. I didn't put any makeup on. Thought I'd let my face and pores breath again today. There isn't too much flakiness today. And it feels good...for the most part. My nose is going through another cycle of flakiness and peeling which I anticipate will happen for the next 2 or so more weeks. And, since our weather is really crazy right now, going from freezing temperatures to warm weather, I can't blame my skin for being a little cranky. I already have sensitive skin as it is. The crazy weather never helps it.

See you tomorrow!

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I am starting a new post for this topic as the other one is getting a bit too long and is now encompassing nearly my entire 1st page of my blog.

Day 9, Saturday January 24, 2009:
Great today! I skipped the 32 again last night which means a little less flakiness both last night and this morning. There was still enough that I needed to use my brow brush to get most of it off before applying my makeup and there is still a little bit of flakiness leftover but, I think that unless you are pretty close to my face, you can't see it. And my makeup went on really well today. My coverage is better. And, my skin continues to get less and less blotchy and red after each day. Still no new pimples. This is the longest I have gone without at least one new and one old pimple. Usually, I might have between one and 3 pimples in various stages of coming or going. No sooner would one be nearly healed and another one or two would be emerging. Needless to say...but I'll say it anyway...I am thrilled with my SkinID results. Minus the flakiness, I couldn't really ask for much more. I do have a few fine lines that I would like to see disappear but, I can tolerate them and, who knows...maybe once my skin is more moisturized again, maybe those will be a little less noticeable too.

See you all tomorrow!

Water Conservation At Its Best...Or Most Adorable!!!

With temperatures below freezing in my area, we have been letting our faucets drip to prevent our pipes from freezing. That always bugs me a little, especially since we live in a state with a severe drought. But, no worries...It is Marti to the rescue! My precious, fuzzy little resident water conservationist!

Update on SkinID...

Day 8, Thursday January 23, 2009:
Better still today. I tend towards red blotchiness and, that redness is getting less and less and better and better with each passing day. It's not perfect and, I don't expect perfection but, it is better.
I still have flakiness which is still worse at night right after the regimen than it is in the morning but, it seems to be getting a little bit better. And, I used the 32 again last night so, tonight I won't be using it in an effort to make sure that my skin continues to get used to the Benzoyl Peroxide and the Salicylic Acid.
There is no new acne and all of the old breakouts are totally healed. I'm just waiting for the scarring to fade more and more every day, as it has been. And, my skin is softer and smoother...even with the flakiness. It doesn't feel as dry as it did at first, right after using the regimen. So, I am definitely seeing improvements all across the board and I look forward to seeing what has improved each morning!
Check back tomorrow!

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Day 7, Thursday January 22, 2009:
I called an expert at SkinID yesterday, as I said that I might, and he suggested that I only use my 32 (my Anti-Acne blend) every other day for a little while. He said that I will experience dryness and flakiness for the first 2 to 4 weeks as my skin gets used to the Benzoyl Peroxide and Salicylic Acid that is in my regimen. And, to explain a little about what I use, I have 3 steps to my regimen. One is the 14 which is my personal number based on my evaluation for my specific skin problems and needs. That first step is the cream cleanser which I use to wash my face. It features exfoliating alpha hydroxy acids and it helps to reduce the redness.
My second step is the 32 which is the Anti-Acne Treatment and it has Benzoyl Peroxide which kills bacteria, takes care of any breakouts and prevents any future acne.
And my third step is the 72 which is Hydrator. It is a water based gel hydrator that helps to keep the skin moisturized without clogging my pores and it helps to treat acne before it emerges.
In my kit, they also gave me a spot treatment which I used every night until last night on my chin and on the one new pimple that was trying to emerge for a few days and, it worked wonders. I can't recall the name of that spot treatment right now but, I will try to remember to let you know what it is next time I have it in my hands.

So, today I feel better than I did yesterday. I still had flakiness and dryness last night and this morning but it was somewhat less and, my skin looks a little more moisturized today. So, I will only use the 32 every other day for a while and let my skin get used to the Benzoyl Peroxide and the Salicylic Acid. Otherwise, my acne on my chin is completely healed with very faint scars left and I am hoping those will fade over time but, they are tolerable so, either way...I am just happy that I don't have any current pimples.

Check back tomorrow!

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Day 6, Wednesday January 21, 2009:
Last night was a little disheartening for me. My skin was really dry and flaky and it was a bit disturbing. And, as far as today goes, my skin is still pretty dry and a little flaky but, not as bad as last night. All this being said, I am still pretty happy with my results for a couple of reasons. First of all, even though I live in the South, our winter has been pretty bad this year. Below freezing temperatures, even into the low to mid-teens, means the heater is working overtime, drying out my skin from head to toe. And, I always suffer from winter skin (dry, dry, flaky, flaky). So, I am not surprised that I am suffering some extra dry, flakiness with my SkinID regimen. Before I even started using Proactiv my face was a little flaky in some areas. Not as bad as it has been with Proactiv and SkinID but still flaky and dry.

Another reason I am still pretty happy with my day 6 results is because my acne is still better today and no new breakouts. I am still battling the one pimple between my nose and cheek but, it is almost healed and, by now it would have been a nasty little mess if I wasn't using SkinID so, I will not be complaining.

I might either call or email one of SkinID's experts to see if they have something that I can use to help moisturize my skin a bit more. Or, they may have a suggestion as to how I can help combat the flakiness and the dryness. Until then, I can deal with it and I look forward to my face continuing to get better and better.

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Day 5, Tuesday January 20, 2009:
Wow! Color me even more impressed today than I was yesterday by my SkinID results! The dryness and flakiness is almost gone and is completely gone in some of the other areas like the spot between my brows and my chin. And I am still only in a small battle with one pimple between my nose and cheek. The acne on my chin is healed and the little bit of scarring continues to get lighter and lighter and I think soon, it will be completely gone! I can't wait! My makeup goes on easier, smoother and covers better. I am thisclose to actually being a little proud of my skin now. I can't believe how much I look forward to washing my face at night and getting up in the morning to see how much better my skin is. I am thoroughly looking forward to tomorrow's results!

Till tomorrow!

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In an effort to help all of you follow along, I will write my SkinID progress on the top of this post so you don't have to scroll down. At least until I find a better way to do it.

Day 4, Monday January 19, 2009:
Still pretty great. I have one newly emerging pimple growing on the left side of my nose where my nose and cheek meet. I haven't really been treating that area too much as my chin tends to be my worst area. But, I have no worries that my SkinID regimen will be helpful.
Otherwise, things continue to get better and better and I continue to be more and more pleased. Even the dryness and flakiness is somewhat less today than it was yesterday. And the acne on my chin is even more healed today than yesterday. My nose looks better too. I didn't put any makeup on today simply because I am being a little laid back (or lazy) today.
So, I continue to feel good about what SkinID is doing for my skin and I can't wait to see how I feel about my face tomorrow!

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I have decided to keep sort of a running day to day record of my SkinID regimen and how things are going for me. At least, I am going to try to. I may miss a day or more here and there. But, I am so pleased today that I wanted to share it with you and I thought that something like a diary might work. So, without further ado, I give you today's results.

Sunday January, 18, 2009:
First of all, I only do the regimen once a day. They recommend you use it twice a day but, I have never done that and with stuff that tends to dry your skin out, I am not about to start now. So, I use it at night when I get ready for bed. I still have some resulting dryness and flaking but, as my face also tends to be a bit red, it is actually not as red as it normally is. My skin also feels a little tight and somewhat uncomfortable after I wash it and use the other 2 products. But, by the time I wake up in the morning, most of the flakiness is gone as it might brush off as I sleep and, my skin isn't even a little uncomfortable anymore. And, I was able to either rub the leftover flakiness off of the few areas, or brush it off with my eyebrow brush. The three areas that are flakiest for me right now are to the right of my nose, all over my nose and on each side of my brows. But, compared to how bad it was when I was using the Proactiv, it is probably 80% better, or more. It really is less red and, some of the areas that were really flaky before, aren't flaky at all anymore. Also, my makeup goes on better and stays on better. It also looks better. And, the coup de gras...my acne. It is much better. Even the two new ones that broke out a day ago. They are nearly healed. The little bit of scarring that I had is lightening up and getting better. I also have a trouble spot between my nose and upper lip and that is entirely healed. And the pores on my nose are getting smaller and smaller by the day with no more blackheads. Once the flaking heals on my nose, I can't imagine how thrilled I will be.

So, to say the least, I feel really confident and happy with my day 3 results of my SkinID regimen. I only hope that things keep improving and that I continue to be able to give such glowing reviews.

Check back tomorrow for my day 4 results!

Don't "Represent" Me With Your Opposing Opinion...

I am annoyed...to say the least. A major car company wants to put a dealership down the road from my subdivision. My hubby and I own 2 cars from this company so, we are thrilled that they will be much closer to us now so we don't have to go so far when we have to go get maintenance. But, my subdivision is bitching up a storm about it. The dealership will be down the street from a school and they are concerned for reasons, such as...many cars with gas in the parking lot, a loud PA system, other potential hazardous materials, car deliveries coming in during the times that school is starting and being let out, and traffic. Whatever! First of all, traffic? Really? What dealership ever has an abundance of traffic more than the usual mini shopping center or office park which are the other 2 possibilities for that location? Gas in the cars? Seriously? Ummmm...correct me if I'm wrong but, there is a parking lot outside of the school where faculty parks their cars. Those cars have gas in them too. I don't get their point there. As far as the PA system, other hazardous materials and car deliveries...the dealership has already addressed that issue and says that none of that will be a problem. And, I am sorry to say this but, it is up to the responsibility of the school to make sure that the kids, during regular school hours, are where they are supposed to be instead of out putting their hands in hazardous materials, which the dealership says they won't have on-sight.

So, here is where my big issue is. There is a meeting set to discuss this issue and my subdivision HOA Board says that they will be at that meeting to "represent" my neighborhood's opposition to the new dealership. WTF? When did you come to my door, put something on my door or in my mailbox, or call my house to ask me for my opinion on the dealership? I own one of the nearly 550 homes in this subdivision and I am pretty positive that if you took the time to poll all of the residents, not everyone would agree with you. Not everyone would have an issue with the dealership. There are plenty of cars in the subdivision that were manufactured by that company that would benefit from having the dealership and their repair and maintenance center much closer to them than the one we have to go to now for service. What right do you have to speak for me? Guess what...YOU DON'T! I don't oppose the dealership and I don't appreciate you assuming that I do oppose it just because some of you are in a snit about it.

Do me a favor...DON'T DO ME ANY FAVORS BY REPRESENTING ME. I might represent myself.

Why? I Was So Thilled...Till Now...Adding to the Beyotchiness :(

My opinion hasn't changed yet. What little I have seen of Natalia Livingston's new character, Rebecca Shaw, is that I dislike her as much as I disliked her character, Emily Quartermaine. She had a brief scene in today's episode of GH and, instead of annoying me with her panting like she did when she played Emily...or as I used to call her character, Phlegmily...I know, ain't I a Bitch...she annoyed me with her gum chewing. First of all, chew your gum with your damn mouth shut and, if you have to chew it with your mouth open like you are a cow chewing cud, simply because you think that "Bad Girls" chew their gum with their mouths open, do try to do it without snapping and crackling it. That is ANNOYING! And, I say that she seems to be chewing her gum with her mouth open because she thinks that is how a "Bad Girl" chews her gum, because, from the short scene I saw her in today, it seems that her new character, Rebecca Shaw, is a "Bad Girl". Woop-ti-doooo!

So, to recap, I can't stand Natalia Livingston and am borderline furious at TPTB (The Powers That Be) behind the scenes of GH. And, that is naming them kindly. I prefer to call them TFUIC (The F&#k Ups In Charge) because...well, given how much they have been ticking off their fans over the past many, MANY years, that really is a very appropriate title.

Ok...Thank you for listening. I felt an urgent need to get that off my chest!

Am I too opinionated? Oh well...they're my eyes and it is my TV and...well, I don't really have a great way to finish this sentence other than...if you don't like my opinion, please don't go away mad. Read another, more preferable post! Hehehehe!

A New Meaning For The Term "Spooning"...

There is no end to the nauseating sweetness that these two display all too often.

Why? I Was So Thrilled...Till Now...

I can't stand this actress. Her name is Natalia Livingston and she played Emily on General Hospital before they killed her off of the show a little over a year ago. Then, she spent another 6 months, give or take some, playing her guy's hallucination. When she finally left, I was so thrilled. The girl is really annoying to watch. She can move 3 inches in the room and start panting. Perhaps she has Asthma. I don't know. But, she really needs to stop panting before, during and after every line.

Anyway, you may be asking...what has you so irritated Justbloggin? Let me tell you! She is back. She isn't back as Emily because that character is as dead as a doornail. I don't know, just yet, what her new character name is. I, frankly, don't care. I seriously can't stand this actress and am thisclose to calling my nearly lifelong relationship with GH off. Basically, the only thing that has kept me watching of late, is the character of Damien Spinelli played by Bradford Anderson. He is a breath of fresh air on the show. He is funny, quirky, charming, sweet and unlike any other character they have, or have had on the show. Granted, there are a few other characters that I enjoy watching on the show but, very few. If they were to get rid of Spinelli, I would stop watching the show. Especially now that Natalia Livingston is back on it.

I am thoroughly irritated that she is back. And, I would imagine that I am not the only one as I know a lot of fans of the show disliked her as much as I did. Way to say FU to the people who help keep your show on the air! Way to let us know that you don't give a damn what we think and what we do and do not want to see. I sure hope the ratings don't take a dive now that you have slapped a rather large amount of us. Good luck with your decision. Spinelli keeps me watching. I hope there is at least one other person on the show that keeps all of the rest of the Natalia Livingston non-fans like me, watching.

Loving It...

Showtime has another new original that I am already completely smitten with. The show is United States of Tara and it airs on Sundays (check your local listings).

In case you are unfamiliar with this show, Tara has Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) which means she has multiple personalities. In the first episode, we met T and Buck. T is a trashy, flirty, trampy teenager who Tara's daughter, son and hubby love. She is fun to be around and their favorite of all Tara's alters. Buck is a lewd, crass war vet who the family tries to treat with kid gloves as he can be a bit of a firecracker and has a hair trigger temper.

The family embraces Tara's alters and her disease as they would rather deal with Tara and her alters than Tara on the meds that controls her disease.

This show is engaging, tragic, novel and hilarious and I loved every second of the first episode.

Hesitant But Optimistic...

I just sent my Proactiv kit back today for my refund and am 2 days into my regimen with SkinIDNeutragena. Thus far, I like it. My skin is still flaky but, I can see the direction it is headed and a light at the end of the tunnel where my skin will look much healthier. SkinID really does give you a more comprehensive evaluation of your skin type. They ask many questions and give you more options to explain your specific problems, down to where your problem areas on your face are. I feel like they do ask enough questions of you to truly get at the heart of your issues. They even break down each type of acne and you can chose from a picture and written description, which types of acne you have. I think that as specific as they allow you to get, allows them to customize your necessary regimen. Just saying you have combination skin doesn't do it. Just saying you have acne doesn't cover it all. I really am a little more optimistic about SkinID, after only 2 days of use, than I was with Proactiv after 3 days of use. It even seems that the dryness and flaking is less than it was with the Proactiv. And the pores on my nose are so much smaller with far less blackheads. Even the acne breakout that I had 2 days ago on my chin is almost cleared up.

So, I do hesitate to give such an optimistic review this early into my regimen and use of SkinID. But, we'll just have to see if it continues to get better or if it is just the calm before the storm that seems to always happen when I first start using a new face product.

I am encouraged by the fact that they say that I should see clearer skin pretty early and even faster than Proactiv.

Wish me luck. I could use a confidence boost and having better skin would go a long way.

I am sure I'll be back with either an enthusiastic thumbs up, or a frustrated thumbs down in a week or so. Until then and for now...I'm giving a sideways thumb that is angled slightly more upward!

I'll Take "Things You'll Never See In My Home" For $1,000 Alex...

This is disturbing and adorable, all at the same time.

Rat + Cat

Some Product Reviews...

I am a product junkie...a little bit anyway. If I see a commercial or an infomercial for something that looks like it might make little parts of my life easier and run a little bit smoother, I might be inclined to purchase it and give it a shot. Not always. I am not a nut about it. I can, and have, ignored those infomercials that can sometimes be very hard to resist. But, on occasions, I find myself unable to ignore them. Since the new year, I have tried three products which I want to discuss with you now.

One of them is 30 years old and has always been intriguing to me. It is Proactiv Acne Treatment. I don't have the worst acne ever but, my chin is a bit of a battle ground for me. The problem is that I have very sensitive skin. It tends to dry and flake and be blotchy and red. And, it is the worst of combination skin. It is oily and dry, and sometimes, it is both in the same spot. I know. How is that even possible? If my skin could talk you could ask it but, since it can't, all I can say is that it is what it is and there is nothing that I have ever found that has been successful at treating it without causing me pain, discomfort and embarrassment. But, for more than a decade, I have considered giving Proactiv a shot. Well, I broke down and did just that. Thus far, I am not entirely thrilled with the outcome. My skin is redder, flakier and more irritated than it usually is. As far as the acne on my chin, I can't tell if it is helping that problem any just yet. I seem to be getting a new zit every day but, almost as soon as it is starting, it seems to be going so, maybe it is helping. But, what good is that if the rest of my skin looks and feels like heck? About the only part of my face with any bit of good results is my nose and even that isn't great. It just seems like I have smaller pores and less blackheads on my nose now but, it is redder than usual and a bit flaky at the tip of it. So, I will continue to use it for a little bit longer but, if I had to guess, I would say that I will be returning it soon enough and getting my nearly $50 back.

That being said, it doesn't mean it won't work for others. It just means that I have really overly sensitive skin and Proactiv is proving not to be as effective and right for me as it is for the plethora of celebrities and average Janes that have used it over the years.

Product #2 was the Smooth Away Hair Removal. They are these fine grain pads that you stick to a pink rubber tool and you are supposed to be able to quickly and painlessly rub and buff your hair away by rubbing in a circle wherever you want to remove hair. It is supposed to remove the hair and exfoliate in the process. And, it is supposed to do it pretty quickly. In the time that it took me to remove the hair from a 2 inch diameter section of my leg, I could have shaved all of the hair off both of my legs, bikini area and under arms and, probably gone on to shaving someone else's body parts too. Not to mention...but I will, when I used Smooth Away on my bikini area...OUCH! I ended up with red, inflamed skin and something worse than razor bumps. I returned it promptly and got my money back. I don't know if there is a specific hair type or color that it is more effective on. Perhaps the more course your hair is, or the darker your hair is, the better results you will have. And, maybe it will work wonders for others. It just wasn't right for me. The only real good thing about it was that, while it is marketed on TV in infomercials, you can buy it at Walgreens and, you can get it cheaper there too so you won't waste money on shipping should you have to return it.

Finally, product #3 was a winner. I hate to clean. Anything I can use to make cleaning easier and quicker is a blessing to me. And, if I can make it easier, quicker and less expensive, even better. So, I bought the Shark Steam Mop. And, again, I didn't have to order it online or over the phone because they also sell them at Bed, Bath and Beyond. I love it. Granted, I can't use it on my hardwoods because it is really a beast to push on them for some reason, I love it for my tile in my bathrooms and laundry room. All it takes is tap water and it comes with 2 washable pads. It has done wonders for the Hellacious floor in my laundry room. We keep the dog bowl and the kitty litter box in there so there is quite a bit of dirty traffic in there and that floor has always been a pain for me to keep clean. Now, every time I walk past it I have to stare at it and smile with pride that I finally have a clean floor that seems to stay clean longer. The only thing I am not crazy about with the Shark Steam Mop is that I have to plug it in which means working around a cord. But, I can tolerate it if it saves some money on cleaning fluids. For my hardwoods I use the Swiffer Wet Jet. I love that thing too but, with 3 less rooms in the house to use it on, that means the cleaning liquid and the pads that are necessary for the Swiffer Wet Jet will last 3 times longer costing me 3 times less money.

So, there you have it. My 3 big product tests of 2009. At least for now. Who knows what I might see later down the line and what may become my favorite product ever...or least favorite!

I hope you got some useful information here. Just make sure to take my opinions for what they are worth...just my opinions.

Let Me Count The Ways...

Oh Wentworth Miller how will I miss you on Prison Break? Let me count the ways.

1. I'll miss your beautiful face on my TV every Monday night.
2. I'll miss daydreaming about your beautiful face on my TV every Sunday.
3. I'll miss wiping up my own drool for an hour every Monday night as I watch you on my TV.
4. I'll miss wishing Monday night would hurry up and get here so I can get lost in your hotness on my TV.
5. I'll miss wishing I could be Sarah just once, every Monday night.
6. I'll miss wishing I could be any one of your fellow cast members so I could bask in the hotness that is you.
7. I'll miss wishing I could be any member of the crew and/or staff that works behind your scenes....oops...I mean behind the scenes of Prison Break.
8. I'll miss wishing I could be your jeans, your shirt, your socks...pretty much anything that gets to be so up close and personal to you. And yea...that includes your boxers.
9. I'll miss wishing I could be 9:00 PM on Monday just so you could fit in my slot.
10. Most of all, I'll just miss you.

I look forward to seeing the last episodes of Prison Break but, I parish the thought of not seeing you on my TV anymore. Please come back soon, to something else. Anything else!

Making Fun of Apple...

Ok, almost anyone who knows me fairly well knows that I am now a huge fan of Apple. I have a MacBook that I got about a year ago. It is my first Apple computer and I absolutely love it to pieces. It is easy to use. It took a little bit of time to figure out a few of the key differences between it and a PC but, all in all, I am a quick study and picked up on it with ease. And, getting your new Apple computer is a breeze compared to a PC. Basically, you plug the power cord in, turn it on, set it up to your network and go. I don't know if that is technically how it all panned out but, I can say that, if memory serves, my hubby had my Apple up and ready to use in about 5 minutes or less. It even finds your printer on your network on its own.

That being said, I have to laugh at the following video. So, enjoy it! It cracked me up and I am a Mac Head.


Apple Introduces Revolutionary New Laptop With No Keyboard