HOME GOODS: Unexpected Treasures

The other day I walked into a HomeGoods store, and WOW, it was the holy grail of treasures. Wall to wall covered in beautiful decor organized for every room of the house. I remained in the store for a couple of hours to look at everything. Every item my eyes laid upon gave me an idea of where it would fit perfect in the house. 


Eventually, I came across a couple of things that just stuck out to me such as the Roman female statue. I've always been a sucker for Roman and Greek sculpture, and this particular statue was one of two that I now owned. Unfortunately, I can't figure out who is the lady in the work of art, but I'm researching deep to find out. 

HomeGoods is connected to a chain link of stores including TJ Maxx and Marshalls. One credit card is useful at all three. The perks of the card allow you attend members-only shopping sprees where you can be the first to shop on items brand new to the store. 

My favorite part of each of these stores would be the home decor aisles where you can find cute authentic-looking items that seem to set your decorative home apart from the norms. The clearance is also a treasure worth looking into. In fact, I found most of the items I bought straight from the discounted rack. 

HomeGoods is a store that knows treasure and their items are unique, stylish, and appealing. Next time you're out and about, take a look inside. You just might discover something quite unexpected. 

BABY WIPES: Redefining Make Up Remover

Baby wipes... the best thing since the invention of the wheel, right? I'm not a mother, but I am an aunt of about ten nieces and nephews (with a new one on the way), and I have to say, if it weren't for baby wipes, those "messy" clean-ups would be impossible to tolerate.

A year ago I bought a pack of baby wipes to replace using those house cleaner wipes like Clorox and Lysol make for quick picker-uppers. The chemicals made my fingers pruney and itchy.  Baby wipes didn't leave behind residue or wreaked of heavy chemicals, AND they were much cheaper for much more wipes. I don't know about anyone else, but that's a win-win in my book to pay less for more.

Just recently, I was in my room trying to remove stubborn fingernail polish. I nearly went through a whole pack of cotton balls and a roll of paper towels. Since I was out of puffies and paper towels, I gave a baby wipe a shot. I knew because the wipe was wet it was going to be useless because it didn't have the dry surface needed to scrub the polish off. I dipped part of the wipe in the polish remover and to my surprise, it removed the polish perfectly. Not only did it remove the polish, it prevented the polish from smearing and staining my nail. How awesome, right?


I had a similar situation with my mascara and eye shadow. Granted, the baby wipe alone can't remove the heavy eye shadow and mascara but, pour just a little micellar water on a baby wipe and watch the magic happen. The micellar water removes the actual make up while the baby wipe's lubrication cleanses the left over residue, like a 2-in-1.

Honestly, is there anything that baby wipes can't do? It's the holy grail for cleaning and removing anything. It's by far the best investment I've made as a part of everyday used items. On top of that, Coupons.com gives me coupons so I can get the name brand kind even cheaper. That makes it a win-win-win situation!

St. Ives Two-in-one Scrub makes Skin Cleanliness Easy

Often times, it's a pain in the butt to buy so many and micromanage all the skin products and their specific functions. I think I speak for most women I say why not create a product which acts as a two-in-one? In the long run, you'd save a ton of money and get the best results possible for your skin. Well, my dearest ladies, you prayers may have been answered in St. Ives Oatmeal Scrub + Mask facial scrub. The scrub that asks as a face cleanser for on the go and a mask for your pampering "me" times.

On the go clean...

Because of my naturally oily skin, I am very prone to clogged pores which result in acne and other skin conditions. During the day whether before work or during the day if I'm working outside in the yard or if I am expected to be somewhere at the drop of a dime, I like to give my face the best cleansing but in the quickest of time. St Ives Oatmeal Scrub + Mask cleanser is my answer for that particular situation. Using only a drop the size of a nickel, I can clean, nourish, and buff my skin clean all in a ten to twenty-second scrub. Afterwards, my skin appears smooth, refreshed and ready to continue on with my day without worrying about increased chances of acne.

"Me" time clean...

There are times in a girl's life when she has to do the full pampering session to restore her body to beauty it was born to be. Mine consist of shaving, washing and conditioning my hair, a deep clean lathering with shower lotion (thanks to Nivea) to end a perfect shower, and lastly, a face mask to put the cherry on top. This mask consists of a dollar coin size of St. Ives Oatmeal Scrub + Mask. I spread the scrub over my face evenly and continue on with other pampering activities as the mask does its work. After washing the scrub off, my skin is brighter, smoother, and cleaner just as I expect it to be. Nothing says beautiful like clean skin and St. Ives delivers just that inside their scrub. 

If you are unfavorable of oats on your skin, St. Ives has created a complete line of different scents and flavors of scrubs that help provide the same wonderful look at the oatmeal scrub and mask. Try it out today and let St. Ives know how much you enjoyed their product! 

TIMELESS SKIN: St. Ives Affordable Fountain of Youth

If you live in a big city like I do, then you know the risks your skin takes as it is continuously exposed to the pollutions in the air. These harsh pollutions cause your skin to age prematurely making thirty the new fifty. On top of that, products that claim they can reverse this process are far too expensive. Luckily for us, St. Ives, a trusted beauty product for years (or since I was a teenager) has come along with a product that helps to hydrate and restore skin regardless of the conditions it is exposed to. 

To do or to not do...

I'll admit, at first I was skeptical about using a product with collagen in it because it was a product with a chemical that would tamper with the natural shape and chemistry of my skin. I've used many "moisturizers" and they were either too thick or didn't last long enough to see any real results. I began with St. Ives Timeless Skin once a day just so I wouldn't push it though the directions stated to apply to face and neck twice a day for better results. 

The first time trying St. Ives Timeless Skin, I liked how thin the product was, in fact, it almost felt like water on your hands. All you need is a dime-sized dab in the palm of your hands. It spreads very well and covers your entire face and neck. At first, there is the wet look of the moisturizer but when it dries, it blends and leaves no residue or dried streaks.  

Two weeks later...

After a week or two, I decided to bump it up and follow the instructions. I bought another jar and put it on the nightstand for night time and kept the original jar in the restroom for the day. I kept myself on schedule and followed it to the T. The other night I decided to take a couple of fun selfies for my social media page. I was surprised by the way my skin looked in the images. My skin looked brighter, smoother, and little more even. It wasn't perfect since I still suffer from enlarged pores on my cheeks, but most of my blemishes were gone and my skin appeared naturally hydrated.

I am overall happy with the results and continue to use it twice a day every day. St. Ives Timeless Skin not only gave me healthier looking skin but a small boost of confidence when taking my selfies knowing that I won't need much help from photoshop features. 

St. Ives has gone au naturale...

St. Ives is proud of their new campaign of using all natural moisturizers and other ingredients to continue to improve their lines of skin beauty care. For more information on their products and natural campaign, visit St. Ives website here.

PANDORA RADIO: The Perfect Daily Life Playlist Maker

I discovered Pandora Radio back in 2008 when I started my freshman year in college. My roommates kept urging me to get it and I eventually created a profile and has been using it ever since.

At first, I used Pandora just for distraction music. But now, I use the music for so much more. The creation of different playlists or "radio stations" allow me to be forced to listen to whatever music pops up, which is a great thing. In the past couple of years, I have discovered more new artists to listen to than I would have just simply listened to my iPhone's playlist.

One of my most favorite discoveries was the artist Matt Wertz. I created a new radio station I nicknamed "Coffee House Radio." This station would consist of a collection of music and artist you would normally hear in a cafe or Starbucks. My key artist was John Mayer. Pandora formulated similar artist on the radio and Matt Wertz popped up with one of his songs. My eyes popped at the sound of his voice and I've loved his work ever since. I've discovered other artist through Pandora in this way and it's great because you're exposed to talent both mainstream and non-mainstream.


My greatest use for Pandora is the different ways I use my radio stations I have created. For example, I've noticed that when I'm studying or writing one of my screenplays, my Trance of Dance Radio (consisting of trance and EDM music) helps me stay concentrated. The constant electronic sounds and light vocals keep me focus and entertained at the same time. If I'm working out or dancing, my Spanish Rose Radio (all Spanish music) is perfect because of the great beats. If I'm cleaning my house, taking long drives, my Chicks Rules Radio (all female artists) and My Men Radio (all male artists) are great to listen to.

Pandora is more than just an app for creating collections of music, it's a tool that can help you organize your life by the music you play. 

Always Discreet, the Best Friend Bladder Leaks Need

Two years ago I had several "accidents" that forced me to keep a change of clothes in my locker at work and always keep a jacket around to tie around me in case I had something showing that I didn't want to be seen. I later found out that I had an overactive bladder.

According to Medicine Net website, they defined an overactive bladder as, "a condition that is characterized by sudden involuntary contraction of the muscle in the wall of the urinary bladder" (MedNet).

After knowing the condition I was dealing with, I immediately went to the store to buy Poise pads which were designed for women who dealt with overactive bladder. At work, I had more confidence because I knew I was protected. Unfortunately, my Poise pads caused me to have more accidents because of its slow absorbing technology. I noticed that the urine rolled over the surface of the pad to the bottom of my pants causing a wet spot, which was embarrassing.

About a month or so later, Always introduced their new line of Always Discreet liners, pads, and underwear for bladder leaks. The company sent out coupons for people to try them so I thought it was worth a shot. I had already used Always pads during my "time of the month," so I was familiar with how well their products work. Anyway, one day at work, I wasn't able to go to lunch. I had to use the bathroom extremely bad and I could feel the urine just flowing out onto the pad. I freaked out thinking that it was going to overfill and start rolling down my legs.

When I finally got to the restroom, I check myself to see what damage was done. My panties were dry as a bone, no damage was done. The pad took on about 3-4oz of leaked urine without overflow. It was that moment I knew I could rely on the discreet pads just as I rely on their pads for my "other" situation.

What makes Always Discreet better than other pads or underwear?
The most important factor that makes this collection better is the reliability and the absorption technology. The pad can hold a great amount of fluid without overflow. This is important because you never know what kind of accident you'll have. An overactive bladder is unpredictable. There are times when I can somewhat gain control and be able to hold my urine and other times where it just flows like a river no matter how I try to stop it. Because I work on a job where the only break I really get is my one-hour lunch, these pads are a Godsend.

What would you suggest for improvements for this brand?
I would say a good improvement would be better odor control. Because the urine is absorbed fast and sealed, there is a little odor, but a scented pad could help. Off that note, I would say a travel size pack of scented wipes would be nice. Something that could fit right in the purse for easy access.

For more information on overactive bladder and how you can treat and prevent it from happening, visit Medicine Net or Web MD.



References:

Overactive Bladder: Medications, Causes, and OAB Treatment. (n.d.). Retrieved February 23, 2016, from http://www.medicinenet.com/overactive_bladder/article.htm#what_is_an_overactive_bladder 

UNDEFEATED: Why Dove Remains the Champion In the Shower

Dove body wash has been a part of my family for years. The way my skin felt after I got out of the shower became my obsession and I knew I didn't want to use anything else. 

Unfortunately, over time, I began to venture out to other body washes like Olay and SoftSoap, but none of them could do what Dove had done for me. For the longest I continued to use SoftSoap and began to tell a difference in my skin. My skin became drier and now even water dries it out too badly.   I could tell that SoftSoap body wash didn't have the ability to keep moisture into my skin, instead, it stripped it of moisture causing me to rely heavily on lotion to keep the soft skin. 

One day I saw an ad for some new technology Dove added into their products called NutriumMoisture, supposedly helping to better retain the skin's natural moisture. With the help of a coupon, I bought my favorite Dove scent and after one shower I could tell the difference.

The NutriumMoisture technology made the soap thicker and it felt as if I were putting lotion on my body while in the shower! After I got out of the shower, not only the lovely scent remained on my skin, but my skin felt very hydrated and soft. I've recently discovered that it makes a great shaving cream as well!

The only negatives I could say about Dove body wash is the price. It does indeed holds the highest price on the shelves which would naturally deter people. But honestly, what price would anyone pay for better skin health? A couple dollars more is a small price to pay for the reward of long lasting healthy skin!