I remember about ten years ago my face suddenly started breaking out. There hadn’t been a change in my diet or anything else that I could pinpoint. I just knew that I was in my 40’s, and suddenly I had acne.  I felt so self-conscious.  After all, my teen years were a distant memory!  Fortunately, I saw a commerical on TV for Proactiv Solution, and I decided to give it a try.  The package arrived quickly and I started using it.  My face started clearing up immediately, and within a few weeks my acne troubles were a memory.  I was thrilled, to say the least.

Acne.com is a website with a lot of information about acne - its various causes and effect,  the types of acne, how to take preventative measures against it,  along with the common myths and claims about acne.

From my own personal experience, I know that Proactiv works.  If you’re bothered by acne - at any age - give it a try.

Summer will be here very soon, and I’m already thinking about swimsuits.  Our family has reserved a condo at the beach in late June.  We’ll have all my branch of the family tree there - RT and me, our son and his wife, our daughter, her husband and the two grandgirls.  I can’t wait.  I love the beach, and I love having a comfortable and well fitting swimsuit so I can enjoy the beach even more.

When people think of plus size lingerie, they might not realize that many people need plus sizes simply because they’re full busted.  And that’s where biggerbras.com comes in.  They have lingerie and swimsuits in a wide range of sizes, colors and patterns.  There is an online coupon at the website for 10% off, and the coupon is good until April 10th.  They also have online sales.

 You can shop by swimsuit type, and best of all, they sell the tops and bottoms separately so you can be sure of getting the right fit and the combination of top and bottom that you like best.

Beginning March 12th you will have the opportunity to win a Nintendo® Wii Sweeps+Charter High-Speed for Life.  That’s true - not only the chance to have your very own Ninetendo Wii, but also the chance to win Charter High Speed for life. 

When you click on the link, you’ll end up at a website where you can bid, auction-style, on Charter High-Speed Internet for life.  The bidding will start at $10, and there is no reserve.  There is no telling where the bidding will end.  This offer requires that you qualify for the offer by zip code because you must be in a Charter serviceable area.   Only the folks who are able to receive Charter High-Speed Internet services at their residece will qualify to bid. 

Also at that page, you will be able to register your email address for a chance to win a Nintendo Wii.  And just look at what you can win!  The person who wins will receive a Nintendo Wii Console, Wii Stand, five Sports games (Boxing, Baseball, Tennis, Golf, and Bowling), 1 Remote Controller, 1 Nunchuck Controller, 1 Sensor Bar, a Wii AC Adapter, and 1 Wii AV cable.   That means that you get everything you need to play.  No other equipment is needed.  Click Here for a Chance to Win a Nintendo® Wii™!

My hair is naturally oily, and I’ve had to wash it every single day for years.  For that reason, I’m always on the lookout for a gentle shampoo that is good for my hair and that will help me deal with the natural oiliness without drying out my hair from the frequent shampooing.  I was excited to learn about Naked Naturals and especially happy to receive a free sample of the “Citrus and Keratin” shampoo and conditioner.  They have a couple other blends available, too - ”Aloe Vera and Camomille” and “Awapuhi and Lavender.” 

Naked Naturals uses a natural plant protein called Keravis that actually strengthens the hair shaft.  Naked Naturals products are all natural and contain no chemicals that could damage your hair.  It has lots of pluses:  no animal testing, no harsh chemicals, no animal by-products, and no synthetic fragrances.  The more you use it, the stronger your hair gets.  

So this morning I used my free sample of Naked Naturals natural shampoo.  When I first squeezed the shampoo out in my hand, I thought there was not nearly enough of it.  Couldn’t they have at least provided enough in the free sample to do the job?  I was wrong.  The small amount in the free sample lathered up generously - more than enough.  Then I was ready for the conditioner.  I generally use a LOT of conditioner, but, like the shampoo,  there was just a teaspoon or so in the sample.  I was certain there was no way it would be enough to de-tangle and condition my hair.  It was, though, and I realized that the Naked Naturals folks were smart to provide small samples.  Otherwise I wouldn’t have realized that it is concentrated and that only a small amount works just as well as a handful of my usual brand.  It only takes a little bit to do the job. 

I used my blow dryer to dry my hair and then the curling iron to style it.  I have to say that there’s nothing quite like having clean, bouncy and silky-feeling hair.  And that’s exactly what my hair is like today. 

You can buy Naked Naturals at local stores like Walgreen’s, and you can also buy it online.

I come from a big family, and by the time I buy birthday cards for my husband, my children, their spouses, my grandchildren, my siblings, siblings-in-law, nieces, nephews, cousins, aunts and uncles - and then I add friends from the neighborhood, friends at church, coworkers at school, and other friends - it adds up to a lot of birthday cards over the course of a year.   I typically buy birthday cards at the grocery store or a department store as an “add-on” when I’m there shopping for other things.   After doing a little bit of math, I figured that at a minimum of $2.50 per card (and often at least a dollar more), that adds up to a conservative estimate of a couple hundred dollars a year just for birthday cards.  I knew there had to be a better way to purchase birthday cards without resorting to those cheap looking cards that come in boxes at the discount stores.

After surfing the internet, I found a source of personalized birthday cards online - Cards Direct.  Did you catch the “personalized” part of what I just wrote?  These aren’t your standard buy-at-the-grocery-store birthday cards.  These are personalized cards.   You can select the exterior design of the card (like my favorite one pictured above - and there are lots of exterior designs to choose from), and then you decide what is printed on the inside.  Cards are a wonderful and inexpensive way to let people know you care about then, and I’m glad I discovered a way to make the cards I send even more special.

When I was young I didn’t pay much attention to skin care.  I wish I had.  I hate to admit that I loved going to tanning beds.  It just felt good, and so every spring I would go to a tanning bed to get a good tan before beach trips.  I would also spend time lying on the beach and soaking up the sun.  I knew it was bad for my skin, but I loved the way a tan looked, and I loved the feel of the sun on my skin.  I was even heard to say more than once that a mild sunburn actually felt good.  YIKES!  What was I thinking?  Fortunately, I didn’t take tanning too seriously, and so I only did it for a few weeks each year.  So the damage to my skin was not as bad as it could have been.

Sometime in my thirties I started being a little more careful about my skin, but it really wasn’t until my early fifties that I realized that my naturally good skin was no longer so naturally good.  I had to do something.  I started trying various skin care products.  I tried just about everything - from expensive department store brands to products that could only be ordered online to inexpensive discount store products.  One system required about 30 minutes in front of the mirror every evening doing all the cleansing, toning, masking and moisturizing.  It was crazy.  Some worked well and some did absolutely nothing for me.

Now there’s Borba which has excellent skin care products.  There’s a Borba blog, too.  I enjoyed surfing around the Borba blog and reading all the skin care information available there.  BORBA nourishes your skin - both from the inside and from the outside, and all BORBA products are dermatologist tested and recommended.

Right now, BORBA is offering a special promotion for website visitors who spend $100 or more.  The promotion changes each month.  So click the link to find out what is offered for this month’s promotion.  Oh yes, Borba has skin care products for men, too. 

I like things that are convenient.  That’s why I always have address stamps to save time and energy when I need to put my return address on a letter or envelop and to identify things that belong to me.  At school, I use a stamp with my name to identify my books.  That’s important at school because after awhile I forget which books and materials I bought with my own money and which books were bought with school money.  So whenever I buy a book or other materials with my own money, I put my stamp on it.  Then whenever I change classrooms or schools - or when I retire - I’ll know for sure which items are mine and which items I stay at the school.  It has been a very valuable practice over the years because after a few months I forget

I’ve purchased my custom business cards from VistaPrint for several years.  I was able to design a totally unique business card that other teachers admire whenever they see them.  Now VistaPrint also had rubber stamps, along with lots of other personalized items.  They also have a special deal for anyone who places an order for address tamps.  Use coupon code “Stamp25” at checkout to receive 25% off your stamp order.

Oh the joys of getting older.  The past year or so I’ve noticed a thinness to my skin - especially my face.  So I’ve been looking into anti-aging treatment creams. I look at http://justskincare.com/Optimum_Lift_Cream.htm and found that it is an anti-aging treatment cream.   The best thing is that it accelerates cellular renewal and slows down the aging process.  That sounds like just what I need. 

I’ve written previously about the slogans I’ve noticed on children’s shirts at school.  It’s a fascinating study in human nature and marketing.  Typically, girls have cute sayings such as “princess”  “spoiled rotten”  and “angel” or silly slogans such as “jelly bean” or “real blonde.” Both my grandgirls love their “princess” shirts and outfits.  And I have to confess that I’ve given them princess-themed items more than once. 

However, after reading and thinking about the printed messages and slogans on t-shirts and other clothing, I’m not so sure that “princess” and the other slogans above are the messages we want our girls to wear.  The word “princess” brings to mind words like entitlement and lack of ambition.  We need to encourage our girls to think outside the box by wearing their possibilities and potential.

I looked at the Girl Mogul website and found some inspiring and more ambitious slogans on shirts and other apparel.   The pink shirt in this post is an example.  “Future Leader of the free world” sends the ultimate empowering message.  Other great messages are : “Future marine biologist”  “Dream Big!”  “Science is Cool”  “Future CEO” and “Future Chef Du Jour.”   There are many more, and they’re all slogans that let girls know that their possibilities are limitless. 

Yes, I like the Girl Mogul slogan much better.

There’s nothing like a wedding - with all that love and starry-eyed excitement.  With spring on its way, that means that soon we’ll start finding 1st Class Wedding Invitations in our mailbox.  You just never know who will be getting married next.  This past year THREE of my nieces/nephews were married.  It was so much fun seeing how creative they were in designing their invitations.  Each invitation was unique.  there was such a variety, and yet each was special and classy.

If I were going to help plan another wedding (which I might do someday if either of my granddaughters will allow me to help with theirs), I would go for something with sophistication and yet still with an artsy bent to it.  I looked at 1st Class Wedding Invitations to see if I could decide which invitation I liked best.

The invitation in this post is my pick.  Isn’t it beautiful?  There’s such a great choice.  You can get invitations only or you can include reception cards, thank you notes - all coordinated.   The flowers on the invitations are watercolor - with the strokes of color giving the invitations a more personalized look.  I love the splashes of color.  I would select a forest green for the lettering in order to highlight the green stems of the flowers.  Then I would also use forest green for the lining of the envelopes.  I think that would look absolutely charming - but still sophisticated. 

So watch out, Sweet Stuff and Sunshine, when your wedding day comes (15-20 years away, at least), I will be right here with some ideas for your invitations!