I'm in Love...

With a new...
Skin care product...WHAT?! Lol

I don't mean to come off a little crazy but when I find something I love I just gotta share it with the world!! :) My newest loves are some facial skin care products that I have no idea why I didn't start using them earlier in my life.
I have very difficult skin, I suffer from cystic acne on top of the regular acne I get on occasions. Cystic acne for those that may not be familiar is a very painful and severe form of acne that very few skin care products work on. I've had this type of acne for what seems like forever and it doesn't look like I'll ever be living without it in my life so I've come to learn to deal with it the best that I can. One of the ways I attempt to keep my breakouts under control is by changing up my skin care routines and the products that I use. I have tried topical prescription medications in the past like Differin gel and Retin A cream, the Differin gel worked really well on my regular blackheads and whiteheads but nothing for my cystic acne. The Retin A cream dried my acne up quickly but then I'm left with very dry spots with hard dark lumps underneath the skin. I still use the Retin A cream from time to time but I will only incorporate it into my routine when I have a breakout of cystic acne that's out of control.
My daily skin care routine consists of over the counter products that I can easily obtain more of and aren't going to cost me an arm and a leg. Although I will admit when it comes to having clear skin I have spent a lot of money in trying to find something that works.

Acne during my teen years was hard to deal with but since everyone else was seemingly showing signs of it I dealt with it. During my twenties while in college I found having acne to be more difficult, less of the people around me had it and it always seemed like I was the odd girl out with acne in a group of my beautiful friends. Now that I'm in my early thirties (and I stress EARLY thirties lol) I'm finding an even more difficult time dealing with my acne breakouts. I often think to myself alright enough already I'm an adult no more acne and still I look in the mirror and what do I find...ACNE!!!
I've tried my fair share of products, Neutrogena, Clean and Clear, Proactiv, Clearasil, OXY, Stridex, and Biore. PHEW that was a mouth full! Now I'm not saying that none of the above skin care products worked for me because some have but there was always the fail at the end. The products would seem to work and then sooner or later just stop working for me, hence why I change up the products that I use. Currently I've come across a few products that have left me speechless and I wanted to share :)

What are the products you might be wondering:
*Aveeno Clear Complexion Foaming Cleanser
*Aveeno Positively Radiant Daily Moisturizer (which comes in two forms of SPF 15 & 30)
*St. Ives Naturally Clear Apricot Scrub

I have never tried these brands of products before so I was very surprised with how well they worked and how great my skin felt after using them. 

The first product I use in my daily routine is the St. Ives scrub is wonderful, the granules are large so I really feel like I'm getting a good thorough scrub of my skin. I've used other scrubs in the past where the granules were small and almost microscopic and my skin really didn't feel any cleaner afterwards. I do have some acne scars I've been fighting to get rid of for the past few months and this scrub has done more for me in the last few weeks than all the other products I've tried in the last year. The smell is a wonderful light sweet apricot and isn't over powering to the nose and doesn't linger on the skin for long. 

Second is the Aveeno Foaming Cleanser which feels like a soft cloud against my skin, its like a small spa trip for my face :). After using the St. Ives scrub this comforts my skin, calming it and reduces some of the redness. It has a light airy scent which doesn't linger on the skin and doesn't leave a film.


Next I use the Aveeno Positively Radiant Daily Moisturizer and this is light to the skin, it doesn't leave a greasy film or clog pores and provides me with all day moisture which is even more important where I live since its currently winter and the cold winds feel like they can cut you in half sometimes.  Although its a lighter moisturizer not clogging your pores its creamy to the touch and leaves my skin feeling like soft. During the summer months I use a Neutrogena oil free moisturizer that has a really light and less creamy texture, I was using this at the beginning of winter but it just wasn't giving my skin the moisture it needed. Also during the summer I use an oil eliminating astringent to help cut down on the oiliness of my skin. I've only used it a couple of times during the winter months in the past and I don't really find that I need to use it during the colder months. 


One product that I've actually had for a while, stopped using and then picked up again recently is Olay Definity Eye Illuminating treatment. Its hard to tell in the picture I've included but the product actually is made up of a clear gel that hydrates and firms with a spiral of concentrated serum that helps to smooth fine lines and wrinkles. Now the package says you'll notice brighter and smoother eyes immediately, I can't say that I've noticed a huge difference with only using this product for a little over a week now but what I can say is that it feels good on my eyes, comforting and cooling them and leaves them more hydrated. 


I don't often use makeup that is hard to remove and I've found that my daily makeup removal is easy with my regular skin care products but when I am using a water proof product I like to use Neutrogena oil free make up remover. This product removes makeup with little effort, enough said! 


The last product I wanted to mention isn't a skin care product but its a discovery from my local drug store that I love. If your looking for an easy, less messy way of whitening your teeth you may want to give this product a try. Its Rembrandt's Deeply White + Peroxide mouthwash. I came across this on a whim while checking out whitening products one day and I just wasn't have any luck finding a product that would work well on my teeth. Unfortunately even though I went through the whole teeth straightening process with braces as a teen my teeth have since moved and are no longer completely in proper alignment so the whitening strips don't lay across my teeth well enough to cover every spec and the gels are messy and I don't care for wearing the mouth tray. Of course there are plenty of whitening mouthwashes out there but this one makes a visible difference immediately! I only use this product from time to time but when I do I notice a difference after the first use. My teeth are whiter and brighter and feel very clean. Only 10mL swooshed around for 1 minute and your done :). Its a product definitely worth mentioning.

Pass me a carrot!!!

I recently felt the itch to find a new case for my iPhone 4. From the moment I first got my iPhone I have kept in it an Otterbox Defender case in black and pink. Very nice case and offers fantastic protection for the phone. I had been searching online for ideas and didn't want to go with just anything and while watching YouTube I noticed in one of the videos the perfect case to change over to.

Cute lil ears, a fuzzy tail...PERFECT!

It's called the Rabito and it's a very uniquely fun case with tons of personality :)

There are tons of colors and you can mix up the tail colors and patterns as well to personalize it even more. I chose black since my iPhone is black which makes one think uhhhh boring but I went for an anything but plain tail and picked a calico brown and black patterned tail (I've also seen this tail listed as cheetah on some sites).

There are tons of sites that sell Rabitos but I chose eBay. Now I know there are tons of people that frown on the auction site because of the unknown nature of who you are buying from and if the product is exactly what the seller says it is but I can truly say that I've had nothing but good experiences purchasing from eBay and I use the site often in search of deals and other unique items. I do caution however that if you are going to use eBay to purchase an item do the ground work and look into who you are buying from. A seller's reviews can say so much about what kind of seller they are and if others have had good experiences with them. I also don't make purchases from sellers who only use stock photos of items, if I'm going to purchase something then I want to see a picture of the actual item and not a picture from a website. I make sure to read the seller's return policy, I have made purchases from sellers in the past that did not offer returns and I never had problems with the items but I do try to search for seller's who have what I'm looking for and offer returns.

More about the case, the shipping was quick from the seller I purchased from which is always nice since I like having my items right away without paying a fortune for shipping. The case itself is a stiffer silicone compared to some other silicone cases, it's sturdy and grips the phone well and doesn't slide or slip and upon inserting my iPhone into the case it sounded as if it snapped right into place which gave me confidence that it was going to hold my phone well and keep it protected. The case adds almost no thickness to the phone which compared to my Otterbox is a big adjustment for me. The Otterbox adds much more thickness and weight. The ears are one with the phone so there's no worry of them coming unattached unless you cut them off with scissors. If you use earbuds a lot for talking or music the ears have a second purpose in which you can wrap the earbud cord around the ears to keep them neat and handy. The tail is detachable which is great for versatility. Although the tail is furry and soft there is a stiffer inside (I have no clue whats inside it) which once it's attached to the phone via a small suction cup it allows for the phone to stand upright or on it's side. This feature is great for when you want to view videos or movies or even when using the speaker phone option or the FaceTime option for iPhone. The suction cup gives a strong hold and has only come lose a few times but wiping it off and pushing it back on is simple. Although I keep my nails short I'm still able to peel the suction cup off without a problem. I also want to add that the slot used for charging and syncing is open on the case but I had to adjust its size only by a small amount to allow for my charger to stay plugged into it. I used the smallest blade that came with my xacto knife from my craft supplies and trimmed what seemed like a tiny amount off to allow for more room. I haven't heard of anyone else having this problem, some chargers may be smaller I don't know but it was an easy fix so don't let this be a deal breaker in whether you purchase the case or not.

So far this case is working out great for me and I'm enjoying the lil extra piece of personality it adds to my phone :)

A Jane Austen's World Review

Because I am always in search of sustaining my appetite in "needing to know more" I began a search for books based on the Regency Period that surrounded Jane Austen's life. As always my search began with Amazon.com and I had found what seemed to be what I was looking for. I enjoy using Amazon.com for book purchases because of the reviews, I've found so far that they have never lead me in the wrong direction when it comes to reading. The reviews on this book were great and since a good used copy was readily available I made my purchase.

This book begins with a detailed timeline of Jane Austen's life. The timeline gives various information headlined by the year and then by the months following.

For example:

1811

February: Starts Mansfield Park 

April: Jane visits her brother Henry and his wife Eliza in London

November: Sense and Sensibility is published by Egerton

The layout of this timeline was easy to read and follow and I used it as I read through the chapters of the book as a reference to relate economic and social events to those of Jane's personal life. 

The next chapter breaks down Jane's life into more detail. Her appearance and character are further explained as well as her attempts at publishing and her earnings in doing so. I'm always interested in learning the differences in the monetary value of items between the decades. I find myself complaining how much the price of something has gone up nowadays and the value of a dollar but to think about how things were in eras before always intrigues me. 

The remaining chapters focus on the bread and butter of my "need to know complex" :)

The daily life of Jane Austen's time (Hooray!! I found myself whispering to myself, the good stuff lol)

Instead of going deeply into every chapter of this book (I don't want to spoil anything) here is a listing of just some of the very interesting points that this book goes into:

Beliefs and values, portraits, female relations, religion and church, love and relationships, meals and manners, housekeeping, dentistry, education, needlework, music and dance, courtship, theater, games and entertainment, travel, the royal family, politics and the military, farming and transportation, poetry and novels, gardening, the home and interiors...I could go on and on lol

Lastly the book dips into each of Jane's novels giving some background into the stories, theories into what Jane's thoughts could of been for writing that particular novel and the movie/theater adaptations of her novels. 

The artwork throughout the book highly compliments the descriptive writing and adds to the imagination of thinking what life was life back then. 

I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves Jane Austen's novels and the Regency Period. It is good reference material and definitely will provide good discussion for those who love history. 

:)

A brand new year!!!

Happy New Year Everyone!! With 2012 here and in full swing the possibilities are endless :)

I usually always make more than one resolution and 2012 is no different. I'm aiming high for a healthier me, obtaining a new career, getting back in touch with myself (in the past few years it's felt as if I've tucked pieces of myself away and hid behind a different person that I've not always liked), and lastly blog more!

To start the year off right I've begun the following reads to satisfy my inner bookworm:

"Jane Austen Made Me Do It" by Laurel Ann Nattress

Per one of the many Amazon.com reviews: "Jane Austen Made Me Do It is the rare short-story compilation in which each and every one of the twenty-two stories manages to shine. Each contains a new take on Austen, a new concept of what Austen hoped to do with her life and work or even a new take on modern romance from Austen’s viewpoint."

I'm excited to start this book and I hope that all of the great reviews are right for this one. I'm in love with the literary works by Jane Austen. Pride and Prejudice being my all time favorite :)

From reading her works to watching the movies based on her novels I've gained an interest in learning more about The Regency period. I'm all for learning more about royal history but never dug deep into this time period so to feed my need to know I picked up this intriguing read also:

"Jane Austen's World" by Maggie Lane

Per this book's description on Amazon.com: It takes a look at the historical and social period in which Jane Austen was writing, a time when England was developing into a colonial power, while George III sank into madness and the Regency took hold. Elsewhere, the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars raged and the New World was developing.

After reading the above I was hooked!!

I hope to post my own reviews on here once I've finished reading them. If your interested in either one of these books I recommend Amazon.com for purchases, good prices and fast shipping :)

My love of Pippa Middleton and her Ri2k style :)

I can just start off by saying that my style obsession with Pippa Middleton started long before her beautiful sister and also another favorite of mine Kate married Prince William. Their style is classic, tasteful with a side of sexy and long lasting (meaning the pieces their wear will be seen for years to come which is great style eye candy for followers like myself lol ). Recently I've come to love a website: http://pippa-middleton.co.uk/

Finding this site was like hearing angels sing lol, before I was only finding info on Pippa on gossip sites which left a lot to the imagination when it came to what she was wearing. I was even more elated to find the matching Facebook page to this site and now I'm up to date daily on all her trends :)

Ahhhh if only my wallet could withstand the pain of owning her duds...but a girl can dream and at least since her and her sister are always shopping for bargains there's hope for me still lol

Currently http://pippa-middleton.co.uk/ is holding a contest for a cell phone case by Ri2k (one of Pippa's favs), if you would like to enter for your chance visit the site and check it out but hurry the contest ends October 6th at 9pm

A huge sigh!!!

Now that I've finally graduated from nursing school I feel liberated in a way. I feel as if my life can actually become my own again. I can go back to doing things that I enjoy and was forced to put on the back burner because the demands of school were throwing my mind and body into over drive. Getting back into the gym on a regular basis, eating cleaner because I now have more time to plan and prepare my meals, fun things like drawing, playing video games, spending time outdoors.

As I breath in I feel weight slowly lifting from my shoulders. Although the dreaded NCLEX exam (cue evil music) is right around the corner I still feel as if my new beginning, my fresh start is finally here.

If I could give one piece of advice to a stressed out nursing student keep your head focused with your eyes on the prize and you will make it, it takes time and that is one thing that seems to go by so slow but it will come to an end and your life can finally return back to a kind of normal.

I've ignored myself throughout the passed couple of years, actually letting my health go to the wayside as well. I've developed hypothyroidism, my insulin resistance is a step closer to turning into diabetes and my weight has gone up. So you can only imagine that not only has my life been derailed for 2 years but my self esteem has well gone down the toilet.

Time to take control, it's not going to be easy getting things back to where they should be but now with school being over I can now put my full attention where it's needed.

Just wanted to say thank you to all my friends and family that supported me ESP my husband Doug who were with me during this long journey (there were actually family members who put me down telling me I can't do it and had the gall to actually say I wasn't becoming a real nurse since it wasn't an RN certification I was obtaining...who were these family members you may be wondering I'm not afraid to say that it was my mother and grandfather to name a few, all I can say is due to theirs and other members of the family's behavior towards me I've cut them and their toxicity from my life).

So I'm raising a glass to myself an saying here's to my life and my exciting new future (I deserve it)

Happy Days are here again!!!

- Posted using BlogPress for IPhone

The dreaded exam

So I'm super duper nervous about taking my state board of nursing exam "the dreaded" NCLEX-PN (cue evil music). I've gone through 2 years of book education and on the job clinical training, I took advantage of my school's review classes and I even picked up a couple review books (Kaplan and Saunders) and still when someone says NCLEX-PN (cue evil music) I want to barf. The exam is coming up and I have to take it (gulp!). I read up on the exam experience of others, tried relaxation techniques like meditation (I fell asleep), focusing on my Chi (still trying to locate it, its not in my closet or under my bed), exercise forget it cause the junk food is calling my name...ok take a breather...I'm going to be fine I keep telling myself. There's not much more I can do to prepare, I just need to do it, maybe I can hire some strange looking guy that resembles Rob Schnieder in The Waterboy to scream "you can do it" as I walk into the testing center.

To be continued...