My Favorite Things

(I have never intended on this being a beauty blog in any way. But in the last few months I have added some fabulous products to my beauty regimen and I must share how wonderful they have been.)


          I come with a series of challenges. I have very dry, sensitive skin, severe dry eyes, dandruff and digestion problems. Sounds like fun, right? I have found products that help me deal with all of these annoyances, however, and if these companies ever stop making these products I might cry. My favorite part of my beauty regimens: Most of them are natural, old-fashioned and proven to work.

My first problem: Upset stomach. 

I can get an upset stomach for a number of reasons...but I'm pretty sure it all boils down to is my stomach feels like being a jerk that day or not. The one product that helps me combat this: Papaya Enzyme. 

I recently bought two of these 600-count bottles of Papaya from GNC. They're currently running a Buy 1 Get 1 Free special so I got two bottles for $20. That's 1,200 chewables. These taste really good and taste even better because it was such a good deal. I simply chew 3 or 4 tablets after a meal and I'm good to go. 

My next problem: Sensitive skin. 

I recently developed a sensitivity to sunscreen in lip balm. The more sunscreen the worse reaction. What is that reaction? Oh it just feels like I have acid on my lips. Totally bearable. So what do I use? 

This stuff is the bomb. I have tubes of this everywhere. Not only is it a great lip balm it's also a back-up in case I need lotion as well. It's the best of both worlds. 

The next factor of sensitive skin is my face's reaction to harsh chemicals. I used to use a harsh "anti-zit" cleanser and I don't recall using moisturizer afterward. That didn't work for me. 

My new favorite facial cleanser is this puppy: 

Not only does this stuff small AMAZING it does the job wonderfully. It's gentle and all it does is wash my face, and that's all I need. 

I follow it up with this:

I know this isn't even moisturizer but I use it as moisturizer anyway. I also use it to remove makeup but that's besides the point: Ever since I started using cold cream my skin has completely cleared up. I rarely get a zit anymore and if I do it's because I've had too much sugar. I can't recommend this to everyone, especially if you have really oily skin (because I don't know what it will do). But if you have sensitive dry skin I recommend giving this a try. I purchased a tub of cold cream from the dollar store first to make sure I liked it and then graduated to Pond's. The scent was a little strong for me at first but I'm used to it now. 

Next up: My favorite moisturizer 

It smells like oranges and seems to be the best lotion that I've ever tried. And I've tried lots of them, believe me. I'm a huge fan of anything that comes with a pump at the top (I don't have time to be using that pop-top crap). I keep this in my bedroom and a smaller bottle in my car. Cause I love it that much. 

Next: Dry Eyes

 My eyes are so dry they're practically eye raisins. My eye doctor has recommended all sorts of eye drops for me to use but none of them ever worked as well as this: 

I put this in my eyes for the first time and it was magic. The bottle started glowing in my hand and the angels started singing. I said "WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN ALL MY LIFE!?" and haven't looked back since. 

Last problem: Dandruff

I've saved the best for last because this shampoo literally changed my life. 

I have dandruff...which I HATE because I can't wash my hair with baking soda anymore because of it. I have tried all sorts of anti-dandruff shampoos and none of them seemed to be working. So I went on a Google searching rampage and found that the major consensus for natural dandruff shampoo seemed to be Rosemary or Peppermint shampoos. So after searching and finding most of these shampoos cost at least $10 per bottle I found out that Suave made a Rosemary + Mint shampoo. 

I bought both bottles at Target for under $4. It smells fantastic, it's invigorating and my hair is soft and I can't stop touching it. But the best part is: Where'd my dandruff go?! Apparently Rosemary & Peppermint are natural anti-fungals and help keep whatever causes dandruff at bay.

Head & Shoulders has nothing on this stuff and I'm hooked after using it for only a week. 

I can't get over how fabulous it works and that it's so affordable. Suave, who knew? 

Happy Day Off Work Day!

Dear Readers,

     Today is President's Day. And let's be honest...who really cares? It amounts to a day off of work/school and for that we are all thankful. But because I'm a history geek and I love any excuse to do research I traipsed around the internet to find some interesting characters in our Presidential past. Who got stuck in the White house bathtub? Which president really liked pants? I'll have the answers to these questions and more in this edition of...

PRESIDENTIAL ADVENTURES!!!!

While some of our Presidents made headlines through scandal and reform, I'm not going to focus on those ninnies. Today we're talking about the underdog. The guy that no one remembers. The guy that you could have sworn you never learned about in history class. Let's meet our first contender:

President Millard Fillmore 

With a name like Millard there's no way this guy didn't get made fun of in school. He grew up in the early 1800's out in the woods somewhere and must have been smart  because he became a lawyer. He joined the Whig party and began his political career. This should give you a hint of why he's lesser known: He was a Whig. I don't know much about the Whig party but in my mind it's a bunch of dudes wearing wigs who pronounce their party name with a Rod Kimble "whhhisky" flare to it. 

While he didn't do anything fantastically embarrassing during his presidency, Fillmore can be crediting with adding 3 of our current states to the Union during his run in office. If it weren't for him we wouldn't have had Califonia, Utah or New Mexico. (California joined as a state, the other two as US territories). Which upon further consideration I"m almost certain we could have lived without...

Our next focus will be on a man who is not hard to focus on at all. In fact he's rather large. 

William Howard Taft

Mr. Taft began his political career as most of our presidents did: Attending a hooty falooty law school and going from there. But his political career is boring. Let's talk more about his weight. President Taft is famously known for getting stuck in the White house bathtub, a situation which required the aid of six men (and some butter) to get him out. 

I looked for a quote by Taft addressing the situation but only found dumb politics quotes so I made one up. I like to imagine he sat in the tub, realized he was stuck and said

"Crap. I'm stuck!" 

This next dude really liked pants. Yep, that's all I've got. 

Chester Arthur 

Gaining office after president Garfield passed away, Chester Arthur ran his term without a vice president and due to his swift entrance into office also never gave an inaugural speech.

"Would you like to say a few words?"

"No thanks, my mutton chops say enough"

MANLY. 

Arthur was nicknamed "Elegant Arthur" due to his dignified look, and his love of pants. It is said that he owned at least 80 pairs of pants and was known to change them a few times a day. On his last day of office four young women asked to marry him but he turned them all down.

"You could never love me as much as I love my pants." 

Now we move to the man who had the shortest presidency in American History. 

William Henry Harrison

Harrison is said to the the only president who studied to become president. Whatever that means. Harrison died on April 4, 1841. His inaugural speech was 1 hour 40 minutes long and was made in the rain in March. He caught pneumonia and died just 32 days after taking office. The whole situation is pretty much a bummer.  

"I should have used an umbrella"

William is the prime example of why your mom always tells you to "get out of those wet clothes before you catch pneumonia". He's also the prime example of why you shouldn't give speeches that are almost two hours long. He was asking for it. He wanted the presidency too much and that's what being too eager will get you. 

Did I miss anything? Do you know any interesting president facts? Leave a comment! I'm interested in what you have to say. 

(If you did not get my Hot Rod reference...here's a little clip to bring some clarification to the matter) 

It's a Jungle Out There: Coffee Shop Edition

       
             I've recently started venturing to the Starbucks near campus during my in between class time to either study, write some stuff for LTS or to fart around on the internet. Today I will do a combination of all three, but sans actual farts. I got a soy latte.

            The little kingdom of coffee shop is a delicate balance of rudeness, tough skin, love of pastries and the desire for free WiFi  I for one am not always all of these things but it beats sitting in my car in the parking lot at school (I've done this many times, don't judge). Here are some tidbits of knowledge that I hope you will find titillating and efficacious!

1.  When you spot your table, claim it quickly
        Too many times I have walked into Starbucks only to foolishly stand in line with my purse and                 backpack only to have my ideal table stolen by someone who got there two minutes before me. You have to let go of your bags. I know they are full of your precious treasures: Your favorite pen, that Moleskin notebook full of all your million dollar ideas, the headphones that you finally found that meet your desired ratio of good looks/sound quality/affordability. But you have to let them go. I know it's tough. But it's only for five minutes. Preferably set them someplace where you can still keep an eye on them from the line like a toddler in a sandbox-- "Oh no, Johnny! That's not a brown Cheeto!"
2. Beware of businessmen in sunglasses 
        They just pulled up in their Mercedes with their $400 leather laptop bag and they don't care how loud they're going to talk on their Bluetooth earpiece, they're here to "work" and you're beneath them because you're just here to study. They're here to meet with their bro from accounting to go over this quarter's earnings. Their hair is slicked back. They're too busy to even take their sunglasses off their head. They mean business. In this case business is synonymous with annoying. 
3. Your laptop will die. And you will need a plug.
         That forlorn feeling you get when you've got 10% battery left and can't find a plug near you is worse than any other feeling you could possibly imagine. Your cat died? This is worse. You just got fired? This is worse. You can't find pants that fit? THIS IS WORSE. Plan accordingly. I've developed eagle-like vision for spotting a plug. And for spotting wedding rings on men. Both are very important skills to hone. When your computer starts making that sad "I'm dying" noise and all sorts of lights start blinking red, you know you better whip out that charger fast because your world is about to crumble. 
4. Don't make eye contact.
          You know what it's like. Something catches your gaze and you find yourself suddenly locking eyes with a stranger. Inevitably it's an ugly gentlemen wearing brightly colored Beats by Dre and reading "How to be a Player". Your brief moment of eye contact might have just given him the confidence boost he needed to walk over and strike up a conversation. To avoid this, always sit in the spot of least opportunity. Face the wall if you have to. Do like Timone says and turn your back da world. You won't regret it, I promise. 
5. Find your bathroom buddy.
          This is not someone who accompanies you to the lou to assist you. Though later in life you'll definitely want to find your bathroom buddy for this purpose. But for now your bathroom buddy is that person who watches your stuff while you conduct your business. They're preferably close enough to your belongings to tackle whomever may enter the Starbucks for the sole purpose of stealing your laptop and also someone who looks trustworthy. A man wearing all black with a pencil mustache and a top hat is NOT trustworthy. A grandma still wearing her late husband's high school football pin on her lapel is SUPER trustworthy (and also adorable, you need to be friends with her). Just be careful with the grandma, because she might actually need the latter version of a bathroom buddy and you do not want to go there. But I bet she makes kick-butt biscuits and you do want to go to there. 

                

Master these elements and your coffee shop adventure will be most amiable! Bon Latte!*

*Disclaimer: This is not actually something French people say. 

It's Story Time, Children. Gather Round.

         When I was a freshman in high school I was forced into probably the stupidest and most unsafe situation in my young life. I found myself one Friday night at the movies with my two best friends. This wasn't an uncommon occurrence since we did this just about every weekend. Being only 14 we heavily relied on getting rides from parents to and fro our hangout places. This consisted of being dropped off at the theater and hoping that whoever was coming to pick you up arrived soon after the movie was over so you weren't forced to wait for too long. On this particular occasion my two friends and I somehow found ourselves waiting outside the theater among a rather large group of our classmates. Among this group were some girls and boys who would later get the reputation of being "popular". They were mostly athletes. I did not care for them.

        We were invited to join them for ice cream at a place down the road. Not wanting to go with them I began concocting all manner of excuses to get out of it:

I don't like ice cream. (lie)

I'm not allowed to do anything my parents don't know about. (lie)

I don't have anymore money. (lie)

I'm going to throw up if I go with you. (truth)

       I stood with all eyes on me and was pressured by my two best friends into giving my consent. With no cell phone (I wasn't allowed to get one until I was 16) I was at the mercy of whichever mom was driving. On this night the mom was the mother of a classmate who I will call Gertrude.

         Gertrude's mom was the wife of some rich dude and drove a vehicle of the Ford Expedition/Lincoln Navigator persuasion circa 2002. It was large and resembled the twisted offspring of a Cadillac and an Astro van. I liken her to Regina George's mother from Mean Girls. She was rich, loud and too friendly for my liking. I went to a private school full of high-income families and most mothers fit this description.

          The popular kids started piling into the Expegator. One-by-one filling up every square inch of the vehicle, twisting and contorting their bodies on top of one another to allow more room for others. By the time I actually made it into the car most of the seats were filled by three or four people each. I felt very uncomfortable at the prospect of jumping into this car with all these people who weren't in my immediate social circle, and they could tell I did not want to get in the vehicle. Mostly because I kept telling other people to get in before me. Sometimes, children, you have to do stuff that makes you uncomfortable, and this is the perfect example.

          Putting my butt on the last seat I looked out of the car to see there were still four people needing to get into the car. Fearless, one sat on my left leg, the next on my right, the other two simply dove into the car and landed where they may. I closed the door and we took off. Eighteen people were in the car. Some in the trunk. Some on the floor.  Some practically hanging out the windows. No one wearing a seat belt.

            Looking back this was extremely dangerous. I don't give Mrs. George much credit for being a responsible adult.  My parents can tell you that as a child I was extremely worried about wearing my seat belt to the point that I used to scream at my father to postpone his exit from the driveway until I had put on my seat belt. I was serious about safety. My mind always jumps to the worst possible scenario and in this scenario we were all going to die.

            I can't imagine what the repercussions would have been had something happened when we drove the mile from the movie theater to the ice cream place. I was secretly hoping that a cop would see us and get her in big trouble. We made it to the ice cream place unscathed by danger or the police. Opening my door to freedom I tried my hardest not to have a claustrophobic freak out while the many girls on top of me made their clumsy exit from the Expegator.

            I don't remember how I got home that night. I don't remember if I told my parents or if I thanked Mrs. George for the ride/peril but I do know I won't forget the stupidity of the evening. That was the night when I realized I don't like large groups of people nor do I want to share a tiny space with eighteen of them ever again. The beauty of being an adult, having a cell phone and owning your own car is very apparent to me now. I have the freedom to pick-and-choose with whom I spend my time and where I go. I am thankful for adulthood because high school is every introvert's worst nightmare.