Winter Skin Care Kit

Winter weather can wreck a woman's beautifully radiant skin. Unfortunately, by the time we figure out that our skin is suffering, the damage is done. It can sometimes take the entire winter just to return your skin to its naturally beautiful state in time for spring. Here are some things that you should have in your bathroom this winter. Keep them in one place and call it your winter weather kit.




St. Ives Oatmeal & Shea Butter

As you know, most of my low cost beauty products are from St. Ives. I don't work for them and they don't pay me to blog about their products. The fact is, their products do for my skin what Johnsons does for my baby's skin. The Oatmeal and Shea butter shower gel goes quickly and doesn't exfoliate at all. However, you feel moisturized, not greasy or oily, before you even step out of the shower. The lotion is thick but soft enough to smooth with ease when you are wet or dry. It leaves you feeling soft and moisturized, not oily, wet or greasy. You could place a piece of white paper on your skin and there would be no oil stain. The best part of the shower gel is if you don't have time for lotion, you won't need it for about 12 hours. If you use the lotion, it will last 24hours or until the next shower. Both products are cheaper than Nivea and Olay.


St. Ives Collagen Elastin

Those of you who saw my Beauty On One Red Cent video know that this is the best facial moisturizer for the lowest price. It also is the quickest rehydrator which is great for the winter weather. If you are paying more than $4 for you moisturize switch to this one. It plumps the skin to erase fine lines and wrinkles.







Avon Foot Works Foot Moisturizing Creme

This has to be the best foot creme for $2.99. It is very thick which is great because it hydrates up to 2 days. If your feet are dry and cracking, there's no need to spend excessive amounts of money on cremes and roll-ons. You will notice results within 24 hours. For massive re-hydration use with a pair of ankle socks overnight.




Shower Gloves

I am a compulsive exfoliator. I love even toned, soft skin. Since the St. Ives Oatmeal & Shea Butter shower gel doesn't exfoliate, I use these. I don't spend a wad of cash on them though. At Target these were $3 even. The great thing about these is they are gloves so you can really scrub the way you need. Also, they are machine washable.







Pumice Stone

For $1.99 at Walgreens you can afford to buy two. I used one for my feet and the other for the darkened, rough parts of my body. If you have an issue with your elbows or knees, GENTLY rub them with a pumice stone. You don't need to see anything happening just rub them for 5 to 10 second once or twice a week. After your first shower you will see results that progress over the next days until you use it again. It works faster and better than scar removers and cocoa butter. I rubbed it on a scar and found it faded to 50% within 1 week.

Put all of these things together in a cute box in your bathroom and your skin will be just as beautiful and radiant as it was this past summer.

Trop 50 review

I was watching my usual television smut when I saw a commercial for Tropicana's new drink Trop 50. The commercial was quite entertaining and it starred Jane Krakowski, most known for Ally McBeal and most recently known as the answer for a Jeopardy question. The selling point for this drink is that it has the same great taste as regular Tropicana orange juice with only half the calories and sugar.

(See the latest commercial here)http://smnr.akamediainc.com/trop50/

I went to SaveMart where it was on sale, half a gallon bottles were 2 for $5. Not a bad price since my favorite juice is Simply Orange and it was almost $4 per bottle. I should have read the packaging a little more closely. First of all, Trop 50 isn't orange juice. It says right on the packaging that it is an "orange drink." Upon closer inspection on the label I see that there is only 49% juice in the product. So what was the other 51%?

Once I brought it home I had been craving orange juice as if I were pregnant again. I open the bottle and find a strange substance collecting on the lid. I read the label again and saw that it was pulp free. I look at the substance again and realized that the gooey, thick, orange residue was actually the concentrate. "No biggy" I thought. I shook the bottle and poured a glass. My first sip was greatly disappointing. It tasted like watered down Tampico punch. The orange flavored one This is not an exaggeration. However, I found the following fact to be more interesting. The more I drank, the more it began to taste like a diet orange juice and then just an orange juice. I also found myself extremely thirsty, which is why I kept drinking more.




The Verdict

I will stick to the real orange juice and cut my sugar elsewhere.

Huggies Supreme Snugglers Vs Pampers Swaddlers Sensitive Review

There are new mom's everywhere trying to decide which diaper will work best. If you check the product reviews online you will be just as lost as you were before. Sometimes the product reviews on the store websites are not at all useful because the reviewer either didn't follow directions or was upset with the shipping. As a result they grade the product low. Here there is no ratings system. I will only share with you my personal experience with the product and precisely what conditions I used it under.

The Huggies Supreme Snugglers aren't actually a new product of Huggies. They had the same diaper out at least 4 1/2 years ago. I know this because I used them on my first born. Then they called it Dry Weave or something to that effect. I remember loving the umbilical cord cut out and the indicator stripe that helped me determine it was time to change the diaper. I didn't like the leakage. My 4 year old was a formula fed baby at the time. For those who need to know, this means he had more excrement than a breastfed baby and it was closer to the consistency as excrement he made once he switched to baby food. I don't remember ever using the indicator stripe because when I would lift my son, I'd find excrement up his back, on his crib, on me. At first it leaked from the thighs, I then assumed that I had the wrong size. I went to the store and found a tighter fit. This prevented the leaks from the sides but not the leaking up the back. Again I presumed that I was the problem. I fastened the diapers tighter and kept track of when he needed to be changed. This was in case he was going in the same diaper twice, thus causing the leak. There were still leaks. This was beyond frustrating. I attempted to switch to Pampers, the same brand they gave me in the hospital, but my size was never in stock. This lead me to Luvs. There were no more leaks.

That was 4 years ago. What brought me back to Huggies once again, size availability. I have a 3 month old, exclusively breastfed baby. She was 1 month old at the time. I was using Pampers Swaddlers Sensitive size 1 with the indicator stripe. Target is my local store. They ran out of her size in the Sensitive. Sensitive is the only one with the stripe. Although I am a second time mom, that stripe keeps me from having to stick my finger in the diaper to be sure. I turned around and on the opposing shelf was an abundance of Huggies Supreme Snugglers. I found my size with ease. The price was the same, $19.79 a box. I bought an 84 count box. For the same price I bought 92 of the Pampers. This diaper felt more reassuring right out of the box. It felt more plush, had a cord cutout and the indicator stripe was twice as dark. In the middle of the night when I am only half awake, I need it to be easy to know if my baby is wet. With the Pampers I have made the mistake of changing a diaper that wasn't wet because there is a design line that is a darker green that the yellow indicator line turns. The Huggies stripe is already a darker green that's even darker when wet.

Another feature about both diapers is they pull the wetness away from the baby's body. As a result, you will swear that the baby's diaper is wet on the outside. It isn't. Immediately, I found that the Pampers kept my baby dryer. The Huggies had a much better fit than the Pampers. Perhaps this was the problem. There was no room for air in the Huggies diaper so maybe that was why she stayed wet. The diaper handled the pee with ease. Then came her first poopie diaper of the night, it went up her back. I'd say she had about 1.5 to 2 ozs of excrement. It went straight up her back. Since it was the middle of the night, I didn't wash her bedding. I simply changed the bedding and her clothes and got her back to sleep. It was very hard removing the mustard yellow stains in the morning. My husband and I persisted with the diapers to no avail. Each and every diaper in that box leaked. We couldn't wait to run out so we could replace them with the Pampers brand.

The Verdict

The Pampers is the brand hospitals use for a reason. You get more for your money. The indicator stripe may not be dark but it is there nonetheless. They may not have a tailored fit but my baby stayed dry and most importantly, no leaks.

4 years ago I called the Huggies company to complain. Their explanation was that until my baby switched to solids this would continue to happen. They sent out about 8 manufacturer's coupons for free diapers. You may still be able to do this today. If you truly feel that the Huggies brand is better for you then call the company to report the leaks. If you aren't having this problem, call anyway and ask for a coupon.

Christmas On A Budget: Embracing Your Bah-Humbug

It's that time of year again when the world overspends in the name of Jesus for a period of one month. Then they spend the first quarter of the new year complaining about what they received or didn't receive and how much they overindulged in Momma's black forest cake. With your budget lower than the temperature on the thermostat it can be difficult to get into the spirit of Christmas. Don't fret. Embrace your inner Scrooge. There is something to be said about not getting lost in the festivities. By cutting some corners now you ensure the rest of your new year has a great start. There's no fun in paying for this year's Christmas gifts well into next summer.

The Tree

Most people wait until the end of the month of December to buy it because the price is cheaper. These people are on to something. Follow their lead. If you insist on the responsibility of a real tree, buy it as cheap as you can find it. It's going to wind up on the sidewalk until Martin Luther King Day anyway. Or, you can take a long term approach. If you were broke last year, and you're broke this year, chances are, you'll be broke next year. You may as well spring for the flawless fake tree. You don't have to spend extra on lights. You don't have to keep it watered. It doesn't need to be dragged out the the curb after the holiday and you can keep it up longer without it dying too early.


The Presents

Religious or not, Jesus is the reason for the season. It's not your family's fault, however, that they only care about the label or the price tag on Christmas Day. You have let them live under those principals all year. Don't expect your family to get religion and not care about the presents this year. That also doesn't mean that you break yourself to please the ungrateful little wretches either. The better solution is to buy one gift per person. Parents tend to exert themselves trying to squeeze as many gifts as they can under the tree and onto their budget to no avail. Buy each person the one thing on their Christmas list that they feel they could never do without. If they want something more, they know about the after Christmas sales. Tell them to take themselves shopping if they don't like your gift.

The Treats

Every other day your little sugar plums want to make cookies and ask you what pie you're going to bake today. And everyday, you die a little inside. You have no desire whatsoever to bake one more stupid pie or batch of cookies. You practically killed yourself making treats on Halloween, and turkey on Thanksgiving. Now, because of Christmas you are expected to be Betty Crocker. Forget all that. Tell your children to make a choice. They can have one baked good a week. For example, cookies one week, pie another week, and chocolates another. To save you the headache, God invented these wonderful places called bakeries. Use them. To make up for the cost don't buy any other sweet snacks for the house. Let the baked goods be the centerpiece.


The Family

They all want to come visit you and eat up all your food. Then they want to spend the rest of the year complaining about your accommodations and your lack of culinary skills. Don't buy into that crap this year. Tell everyone that you are not excepting overnight guests this year. Make them get a hotel or commute. That'll make them appreciate your sofa bed. Tell everyone that they need to bring a dish of their own. Tell them the economy has assaulted you and this year you are having a potluck Christmas. That's less headache, time and money for you. Let them see what it feels like to be insulted after slaving over a hot stove.


The Shopping

The crowds, the shoving, being robbed, overspending, it's all too much for one housewife. Do your shopping on the internet and call it a day. I only recommend this if you are a housewife, meaning you are home aaaall day. You don't want the packages to be stolen. This may be a good time to get a post office box. Buying online is quick, efficient, and prevents overspending since there is no creative store shelf designing aimed to make you do just that. You aren't limited to mediocre deals either. By shopping online you have access to all of the warehouses belonging to the store. What may be sold out at your local store isn't sold out online. You can even use your store credit cards to earn extra discounts and awards at places like Macy's, Toys R' Us, and JC Penney. If you have to brave the mall don't carry a purse or a bag. Don't carry cash in case you are robbed you can put a stop on all of the cards. Go in as if you are going grocery shopping. Have a list, get in and out.


The Photos & Cards

You spend so much money on those holiday portraits and cards. Half of the people who receive them don't send you a thing. Stop sending them pictures. Don't buy a photo pack without a coupon. Try JC Penney, they have $7.99 portrait packages. Be careful going there. They take quality photos. You may wind up spending more than you wanted. They also charge a sitting fee so only let the children pose. If you know your children are photogenic, go for the $3.99 portrait sheets coupon. It allows you many different poses. Don't pay extra for Christmas cards from portrait studios. Just go to the Dollar Tree and buy your cards there, enclose the Christmas photos and you're done.


A little bah -humbug goes a long way toward maintaining your happiness and sanity.

Carl's Jr. Chicken Tenders

Carl's Jr has exploded onto the fast food scene with a new product. They are now offering hand breaded chicken tenders on their menus. Some of you are not quite grasping the hotness of this item.

Upon entering the drive-thru for the 5 piece box, ($4.50) I noticed that there was a long line around the building. There was a fog of tail pipe smoke in front of me as people braved the cold weather for a taste of this rumored irresistible chicken. Somehow I found myself reminiscing on the free fried chicken episode of The Boondocks.

The tenders are marketed as hand breaded which leaves me wondering how else the chicken is breaded. Should I even ask? After seeing the four-legged chicken on a PETA expose' I think not. The rumor is that the chicken is so juicy that you don't even care that you are paying almost a dollar piece. Executive vice president of marketing Brad Haley said, "We love to be able to give Carl's Jr. customers a 'wow' experience, as in, 'Wow, I can't believe I can get something that good at a fast-food place.'"

Well, after watching people for the past week honk their horns and yell at the attendants for running out of the tenders during the lunch rush hour, I finally got a box of my own. The above is a picture of what they actually look like. For a better idea of the size, they are about the 3/4 of the size of the ones on the commercial. I was disappointed with the size I must say, but only because the commercial made them look so large. The ones in the commercial wouldn't even fit in the box. That was a bit misleading. Then there is the infamous hand breading. It was not the same texture or consistency as the the chicken in the commercial. Basically, I paid $5 for some chicken tenders that I made at home the week before. Only, mine were bigger.

I will say this for Carl's Jr, the chicken was juicy and flavorful. I would rather eat their chicken tenders than any of the chicken tenders I have paid more for at any restaurant. My 4 year old agrees. Though the size of the tenders was off-putting, you will get full off of the flavor. As a recovering Carl's-aholic, I was used to eating until I couldn't eat anymore. Eating the chicken tenders made me want to stop. It had so much flavor that you didn't want to mess with it by eating the fries or eating too much.

The Verdict

Buy the tenders alone with a drink instead of a burger combo meal. Yes, I could make these at home but if I don't feel like cooking I could easily pass these off as my own. For that, they get my approval.


Want to make it yourself?

Buy a bag of large boneless, skinless chicken breasts. One really large breast is enough for a 5 piece. So you will need 1 breast per person.

Slice the breast into 3-5 strips each.

In a large bowl, season 2 cups of flour with Tony Chachere's Creole seasoning. Don't overdo it.

Heat enough canola or vegetable oil in a cast iron or non-stick pan to cover the chicken.

Toss the tenders into the seasoned flour, tap off the excess and lay in the pan to cook.

Here's the catch. Do not overcook the breasts. Make sure your oil is piping hot when the tenders go in. This is how to accomplish the crunchy outside and the juicy inside. Leave the tenders on one side for 3 -5 minutes depending on the thickness, before turning.

Drain on a paper towel.

5 Gifts That Say "I Love You" & "I'm Sorry"

So you've confessed to her that you were wrong and have thus forever accepted the title of Jackass. Still, she looks at you like the stuff she stepped in while climbing out of her car. There is one last thing you can try to do to make the holidays happier. You can buy a gift that says more than you can because you'll just put your foot in your mouth anyway.



"Cheater"

So you dipped your stick in someone else's oil. You're a very lucky Jackass to still have your queen. Honestly, she is probably waiting just to see what you bought her for Christmas. So you'd better make it count.

Try this key necklace, or any piece of jewelry with the key as the main piece. The key says, " Only you have the key to my heart." Which is contrary to the impression you left her with after sharing your twig and berries with the other fair maidens in your town. It helps to make the whole, " She meant nothing to me" speech sound that much more believable. Make sure it is real gold and and real diamonds or nothing you have to say will matter.



"I've seen better"

Your Lovely Dove asked you if she looked fat and you answered, "yes" faster than she could finish her sentence. Or maybe you stared too long at that young tramp that sauntered passed the two of you that night. You may have even failed to compliment her new look or insulted it by saying that you'd seen better.

You are such a jackass.

Try giving her something that no one else is thinking about giving this Christmas. Give her a vanity table with a mirror and seat. Make sure it matches the furniture. Have it already assembled with her fragrances and makeup on the table. The great thing about this is that you will have your bathroom counter back all the while making her feel more beautiful than your idiotic words made her feel in the first place.




"All you women are the same"

So you made an unflattering comparison of your wife to another woman. You've left her feeling inferior or worse yet, boring. You've told her that she's just like the rest of the women in your life although she's the only one who cooks, cleans, tolerates you, and does that special thing in bed that you like so much.

Way to go jackass.

Here something to make her feel more unique and very special to you. Women love butterflies. They also love diamonds. But chances are, none of the other women in your life or hers has them both assembled together on one necklace made of chocolate diamonds. Don't buy a gift for any other woman on your list this year. You mucked up so you clean it up. Make her feel special.


" Was that today?"

So you forgot her birthday, your anniversary, the baby's due date, etc.

Yep, you guessed it! You're a jackass.

You need something that says, "Honey, I am bad with dates but I am good with remembering what you do for me." A Pandora bracelet is perfect because it shows that you were paying attention. It's jewelry, and we all know how women love that. It's new, so she can show off to the rest of the mom's at the PTA. The charms are personally selected which accomplishes a couple of things. The charms you choose shows that you remembered the events, not the dates. It shows that you took the time to carefully plan out what you were buying her this Christmas. It also says that you're romantic because she will always be able to look down at it and remember what she means to you.

Now that you have a starting list of ideas, run out and go shopping for your Little Mrs. Do your best not to create another jackass moment you'll never live down in the process.

Tide Washing Machine Cleaner

I actually had to spend the money to purchase this item in order to review it. I must admit that I had my preconceived notions of the product. Granted I am an advocate for baking soda and vinegar. Sometimes, there are some cleaning products that simply must be bought already made. I have decided to purchase this one to see if it was a must buy or a must make. After all, my goal here is to save you beautiful ladies money.

First let's discuss what the product is and it's intended use. The product claims to clean your special HE washer. By doing so it eliminates the odors that these machines are prone to developing and leaves your clothes cleaner. It is specially formatted to work in your HE washer.

My experimentation was done by using my neighbor's front loading HE washer, complete with platform, steam cycle, and shiny red finish. He complained about the moldy smell coming from his washer. He supplied the washer for this review and I supplied the Tide Washing Machine Cleaner 3 Pack. First I followed the directions to a "T". I could smell the freshness of the cleaner like fresh laundry on a Saturday morning. My neighbor and I were distracted with the NFL games on television for awhile. I was pretty sure that the product worked since I could smell the freshness from the other room. My neighbor was nice enough to toss in the laundry and do a cycle for me.

15 minutes later, as the cycle ended, we both made the "what's that smell" face. We went to the washer and low and behold, the musty moldy smell was back. This time it was all over my clothes. Of course my neighbor was grossly over-apologetic. After reassuring him I returned home to write my review. I tossed the same load into my ancient top-loader and out it came smelling so fresh and so clean.

The verdict

For $2.67 a bag this product should work better. Perhaps I should rephrase that and say that this product should work for $8 a box. It not only left the odor in the machine but also it transferred the odor to the clothing. Perhaps after a few more uses the problem will be rectified but this is not implied by the advertising on the packaging or t.v.

Ladies, save your money and add a cup of vinegar to your load instead.