RecycleCoup: Plastic Bedding Bags

I don't just buy things; I also try to recycle and re-use things. Today I want to share a little tip I learned from my mom - re-use those plastic bags your bedding comes in!

One of my plastic bedding bags

These plastic bags are really strong, clear, flexible plastic and they usually even have a handle built-in, which makes them perfect for storage. When I was little, I had a few of these plastic bags to store my toys in; I remember one was full of Barbie and Ken dolls, and another one was filled with their clothes and accessories. I loved this method of storage because I didn't have to be super-organized - when I was done, I just shoved everything into the bags and put them back into my closet. I also loved that they were clear, because I could see all my stuff inside and knew what was where. In addition, they were great for when I wanted to being my Barbies to a friend's house, because everything was already sealed and ready to go.

Now that I'm an adult, I continue to use these bags for storage. I even have two of them on a high closet shelf right now! One is for storing cute clothes that don't fit anymore (but a girl can dream they'll fit again someday, right?), and another is for storing miscellaneous stuff I don't have another place for, and am too lazy to go through and start throwing out.

Left bag, miscellaneous stuff; right bag, clothes

I also have a bag next to my dresser that holds my decorative bed pillows when the bed is unmade (which is basically always, unless company comes to visit). I love that I can store them in the bag because it keeps them clean until I'm ready to use them.

Decorative bed pillows for when the bed is made

Since these bags are flexible (meaning they squish really well), I just store them in my coat/vacuum closet until I have a need for another one.

Waiting to be put to use

These are also great for moving, because they hold so much stuff and are really flexible. My husband and I have moved many times over the years and always in our cars (someday we hope to be able to rent a moving van), so flexibility is great when you're just shoving things in your car willy-nilly, trying to fit as much stuff as possible. 

They also last for years - eventually the plastic might tear or the zipper will probably break, but I remember continuing to use my Barbie bags for my own accessories (belts, scarves, etc) as I grew up and started going to high school. 

So if you have any of these bags around your house that you've been meaning to throw away, or you've just been storing (empty) for your bedding but your bedding is in use or in a linen closet, try using them to store other things around your house like old clothes, shoes, accessories, pillows, toys, or whatever, and let me know what you think :)

Good Cook Safe Cut Can Opener

This is going to be a short, picture-filled review because I've got a lot going on this week, which is why I haven't been posting as much as usual. Anyway, today I'm going to talk about the Good Cook Safe Cut Can Opener.

We've had ours for a couple of years now so I think the design has changed a little, but it should be the same product (I just checked it out on Amazon and it looks like the new version has one arm instead of two like mine). Our former can opener was really gross and rusty, so when we finally replaced it, we bought a Safe Cut can opener even though we don't have children because I've always hated how traditional can openers get all up in your food - it's gross! Especially with a rusty can opener, because that thing got rust in my food, I just know it. Plus, who wants to run the risk of getting cut with a sharp edge if you don't have to? This Safe Cut can opener works by unsealing the lid of the can, rather than using a blade to cut through it.

No blade

It's got a firm grip on the can

You can't really tell by looking, but this lid is unsealed now

See? Unsealed!

I flipped the lid upside-down so you can see that it's the full lid and is flush with the can

The lid - no serrated edges, as promised

The only drawback to this type of can-opening is that I can't drain liquids from the can like I used to, since I'm working with the full lid now rather than just the cut version; the cut versions have a smaller circumference than the Safe Cut lid, and therefore fit within the can, making it easy to press and drain. But the more I thought about it, the fact that I can't do that anymore isn't a negative - traditional can openers don't get washed very often, and that blade goes into your food, and then you use the top of the lid to drain it? Who knows what's going on with the top of that lid? I don't know... maybe I am being overdramatic here, but to me, it's easier/safer/cleaner to just use a mesh strainer to drain my food.

Our mesh strainer

Overall: I love this can opener and highly recommend it. It's safer and more hygienic than the traditional can opener, and it's easy to use once you get the hang of it (the first time using it can be weird because you put it on and it feels like it might be right, but you can't help but question if it really is on right, because it feels different than what you're used to, since there's no blade that sinks into the can). 

Re-buy?: If anything ever happens to it, yes. I bought my mom one too, so technically I've already re-bought it :)

Dude Review: Kirby Sentria Vacuum

Some of you may not have heard of a Kirby vacuum, and those of you that have either love it or you didn't buy it because you felt like some salesman was trying to swindle you. Well, Larissa and I are not ashamed to say that we got sold, we fell for it and paid big bucks for a friggin vacuum. Why would anyone want to spend a crap load of money on a vacuum!? If you have pets and/or kids, then you KNOW why you need a bad ass vacuum.

Don't feed me that "Dyson is the best" bull sh*t. I'm sure it's a decent vacuum compared to all the other sorry suckers out there, but THE KIRBY will eat the Dyson, poop it out on a white carpet, suck it all up and then shampoo the entire room when it's done. No, seriously, it also shampoos and removes stains! That's just the beginning! I know you're probably thinking I'm trying to sell you on this, but I'm simply stating the facts and besides, would I make any money if you bought one? Nope.

We went through at least one vacuum per year. We kept spending between $100-150 and it would only get the job done once or twice and then it would dramatically go downhill from there. Our cat Sally sheds like a mo fo and our dog Dottie just adds to it. Why keep wasting money on something we're gonna use every weekend (give or take)? The answer is, DON'T waste your money and just suck it up (pun intended) and finance an amazing vacuum that you'll have the rest of your life! That's right, I said finance. The Kirby is not cheap and prices vary depending on where you get it.

THE KIRBY

"Ethan, what's so great about this stupid vacuum that you've completely pumped up for the past three paragraphs?" Well, you know that Playstation 3 commercial that says "It only does everything". They're also talking about the Kirby Sentria. It literally does EVERYTHING! It can be used as a leaf blower, PAINT SPRAYER and carpet shampooer, to inflate air mattresses & tires, remove light bulbs (not joking), unclog drains, and much much more. It comes with a bunch of attachments, one that we use the most is this brush that spins and makes your couch look brand new every time you use it. You can also use it like a big dust buster and clean your whole mattress. Did I mention it has gears and can be put into neutral and drive mode!? Yep.

I am not a Kirby salesman, as you know, I just love the fricken thing. What I like most about it, and I'm sure the dudes will understand, is that it is a totally simplified machine. You can see how everything works, take it apart and put it back together again. It's heavy and ridiculously powerful! (I'm making my Tim the Tool Man grunt noise right now) I like to know how things work and understand them and from what I've learned over the year of owning this vacuum, it can't be broken. Even if it did break, it has a LIFE TIME WARRANTY and they'll just fix it!

The other day, we got this free couch from our neighbors and it was totally nasty because they used it outside and I can honestly tell you, the only reason we took it is because we have the Kirby and I knew we could revive it. Oh, we revived that couch alright. I even shampooed the fold out mattress that was inside the couch!

Seriously, if you guys don't buy one eventually, you'll just be settling for something that ISN'T doing what it's supposed to. This doesn't just go for vacuums, it goes for everything you buy. You get what you pay for. BUY A KIRBY!

Lixit Waterboy Travel Water Bowl (For Dogs & Cats)

I saw the Lixit Waterboy Travel Water Bowl at my local TJ Maxx and was intrigued, so I bought it for $9.99 and then came home and did a little research on it (I figured it'd be better to buy it now and return it later if we didn't like it, since there were only 4 at the store and I didn't want to miss the opportunity to get one). Basically, this water bowl claims to be great for cars, boats, RVs, etc. because it doesn't spill, even if you turn it upside-down. The handle makes it convenient for going on long walks or to the beach, because your dog has access to water while you're on the go, which is one reason why I bought this product (we love the dog beach in SD!). Also, this product is supposed to cut down on the drippy, slobbery mess your dog may make after drinking from a traditional bowl - this is the part that really appealed to me, because we have a 55 lb. lab mix who loves her water, and is not tidy about it.

Check out the water level: this is too high

I read every Amazon review and decided that since it got 4 and a half stars averaged over 35 reviews, it must be a good product - only 7 people of the 35 rated it less than 4 stars, so those are promising odds, right? Well, my first one was a dud and I exchanged it for another one. What made it a dud? There is a little black rubber ring around the blue lid; every time I tightened the lid, the rubber ring would squeeze out of place and the drinking part of the bowl would fill with too much water. I saw from the 7 unfavorable reviews that this might happen, so I exchanged it for another one later, no problem.

The new bowl let me tighten it all right, and when this product works, it works very well. Unfortunately, I still have a little problem getting the lid as tight as necessary for the bowl to fill with the appropriate amount of water. Check out the water level in the picture above - it's too high. The water level should be lower, like this:

Correct Water Level (also, you can see the black rubber ring I mentioned earlier)

I know this water level looks really low, but it's this level that keeps the dog from making a mess all over the place (it doesn't get water all around its muzzle anymore since it's forced to take smaller drinks, which is apparently great for small dogs because it cuts back on the gross perpetual wetness those little furry ones can have in that area). The lower water level also makes sense with regards to spilling (or lack thereof).

Upside-down and no spills - it's true!

We've had this product for a few weeks now and use it as our primary water bowl - so far, so good! I've noticed less mess in the pet water area of our house, which is great. In addition, I no longer run away from our dog's love after she's had a drink, because she doesn't have water all over her face anymore (the extra slobber she carried with her after a drink really used to gross me out).

We also travelled with this product in the car the other weekend when we drove 90 miles each way to visit some friends overnight, and it didn't spill or anything, as advertised (we just put it on the floor behind the driver's seat, but the dog didn't drink from it). This trip was the true anti-mess test; in the past when we've visited these friends, Dottie (that's our dog) has made the worst water messes ever in their dining room/kitchen area, and it was a slipping hazard because that's a high-traffic area in their home. Our friends have dogs too, but their two dogs are small and don't drink them out of house and home like our Dottie does, so I'd always been embarrassed of the mess and spent a lot of time trying to keep the area clean and dry, but who wants to spend time doing that when you could be having fun? Luckily, this product cut WAY down on the mess and I didn't have to worry about any of that this time.

In case you're wondering, we have a cat too and she likes this water bowl just as well as the traditional one we used to use. Even though she has her own small water bowl next to her food bowl, she's always preferred to drink from the same bowl as the dog for some reason.

Overall: I like the Lixit Waterboy Travel Water Bowl. Once the seal is tight enough and the water level is correct, it works very well and keeps its promises (anti-spill, less mess). However, I have trouble getting the seal tight enough for the water level to be correct, so if I don't have my husband around the water level is higher and there are more watery messes after drinking (but even these messes aren't that bad compared to those from the traditional water bowl, so it's not the end of the world). I really like being able to carry it with us wherever we go, and I can't wait to take it to a dog beach!

Re-buy?: Yes; if anything were to happen to this bowl, I think I would want to get another one.

MAC Paint Pot Painterly, .17 oz

This post is going to be short and sweet because I haven't been feeling well lately. MAC Paint Pot Painterly - I love it! I happened to be shopping with my friend at Victoria Gardens one day a while back and we ended up at the MAC counter in a department store. When I told the makeup artist/sales woman how eye makeup tends to slide right off my eyelids and/or settle in the crease, she recommended this product and it is so worth the money for me.

Since I don't wear eye makeup every day (and I only use this product every week or two when I'm seeing people I actually care about), this product, which is basically an eye makeup primer, is lasting forever. However, even with everyday use I think it'd last quite a long time, because you only need to sweep a little across each eyelid and you're set. This product has a very even texture and slides over my eyelids very smoothly. It also dries quickly so you can put on your eye makeup almost immediately afterwards. Once or twice in a pinch I've even used this product as a concealer to hide a zit and it works pretty well for that too!

Can you tell which eyelid I used this product on?

Note: I only applied eyeshadow as far as the center crease - I did not apply all the way up to my eyebrows.

The other day I put this product on one eyelid in preparation for this review. Then I just put a little brown shimmery eyeshadow on both eyelids and let this product do its thing. After 11 hours, you can see that one eyelid looks considerably better than the other. It still settled in the crease a little, but it wasn't that bad considering I'd been wearing it for so long. My other eyelid was just a disaster, eyeshadow was completely missing from above my eyelashes and settled in the crease like crazy (the difference was more profound in person).

Overall: I love this product. It applies smoothly and evenly, dries quickly and lasts forever. It is well worth the money for my eyelids, which don't usually like to retain eyeshadow.

Re-buy?: If I ever get through this pot, yes. But I don't see that happening any time soon.

Dude Review: E Machines EL1352-07e, Windows 7 Desktop PC

Not only is the brand name appropriate for me, it is also one of the top rated PC's at Best Buy! I hadn't really heard much about E Machines and I'll be honest, I kind of thought it was a low end Wal-Mart brand. I was pleasantly surprised when I did my research and found out it's not only a well reviewed brand but it's also EASY ON THE WALLET!

I did a lot of research on what my next computer was going to be because I knew that I was pretty much going to use it as a media center. I used to have a pretty nice 17" Dell laptop...for 2005 that is. Don't get me wrong, it was a great PC and I even had it hooked up to my TV for a lot of the time and we watched hulu from it. I couldn't stand having a laptop sitting on the floor and a VGA cable running from it to the TV any more and I figured it's been 6 years, it had a good run, but it was time to upgrade my computer. So, I sold it on craigslist for about $185, which is ridiculous but it's what everyone else was selling my same exact laptop for.

For a while, I was hell bent on getting a Mac mini and mounting it to the back of my 40" LCD TV but those beasts are like $700! Wish I had the fundage, but it wasn't going to happen, not for a while anyway. Then I found a Dell that was the same size as a Mac mini, but I read bad reviews on it, so decided to keep looking. I wanted to just sell my laptop and go directly to Best Buy and get a replacement. Why Best Buy you ask? You guessed it, (if you read my review of the Roku) I have a Best Buy credit card, therefore I could put down my $185 and then cover the rest on the card. I gave myself a budget of $400 and so when I went on the BB website, I found the best reviewed desktop and it happened to be an E Machines and it ALSO happened to be compact! That's what I wanted!

So, I sold the laptop, went to Best Buy and they had ONE left! It was $365, just the tower itself, no monitor and I was out the door spending just slightly over $400. This computer is pretty damn impressive and completely accomplishes everything I need it to do! It has 4g of ram and a 500 gig hard drive. Came with Windows 7 of course and also has an Nvidia graphics card. HD movies and hulu look awesome on it and it is extremely fast! I used to have some glitching when I watched streaming tv shows but now it's totally smooth. I can have as many pages as I want open, play music, edit movies, photos etc. and it doesn't even flinch!

I am extremely happy with this computer and even though I can't mount it to the back of the TV, it is still pretty small and inconspicuous. I could put it behind the TV still but I use a wireless mouse and keyboard and the signal gets interference if it has to go through the LCD screen.

I highly recommend getting this computer and using it for a media center. You can always get external hard drives if you need more space. If you just used it as a family desktop PC, it would be great for that too. Even though TV's are now coming with all the movie and tv streaming apps, they still can't top having a full on computer on your TV at all times.

Get the E Machines EL 1352, hook it up to your LCD, LED or Plasma, get a wireless mouse and keyboard, and you won't be sorry!

Sex Symbol Aerotan (Instant Temporary Tanning Spray), 5.3 fl. oz.

Tanned skin makes almost everyone look better (somehow all of our skin infractions don't seem as egregious), but I am afraid of melanoma so I haven't tanned in the sun in about 4 years. You'd think that sometime in the last 4 years I'd have experimented with self-tanner since I understand the benefits of a "healthy glow," but I've heard (and seen) too many negative things about it: it's streaky, it turns you orange, it stains your clothes, etc. But the time has come for me to foray into the world of self-tanner: I am having a local wedding ceremony this month for a few close family and friends who couldn't make it to our destination wedding in New York City, and since this is June in Southern California and not March in New York, I have to bare my arms this time around (in NYC, I was able to wear a faux fur wrap to hide my arms). Here's the thing: I hate my arms. I am a bit overweight, and my arms definitely show it. Unfortunately, my wedding dress is strapless. I know, I know; I picked it. The thing is, I was on a $400 dress budget which reduced me to samples, and there is not a lot of variety when you're a bridal size 14. Since I can't afford a bolero, it's time for me to try self-tanner (I can't even afford a professional spray tan). Lucky for me, I found this gem at my local Marshalls for $6.00:

Sex Symbol Aerotan

I haven't experimented with this product a whole lot yet, but what I've seen I like. This product is a spray, so I applied it in my back yard because I didn't want the spray to get all over my house. I ended up spraying at pretty close range so sometimes it looked like a flow of brown spray paint on my leg, but I just had to rub it in to even it out and it was no problem. You're supposed to be able to build the color, but it was my first time so I think I got a little overzealous and went straight to a deeper tan, but it looked good. It wasn't streaky at all, and it has a bit of a shimmer to it, which I like. It also smells good - kind of coconutty. After I rubbed it into my skin the palms of my hands were pretty saturated, so I went straight into the kitchen and washed them with warm water and dish soap and it came right off, no problem.

In the shade

In the sun

My spray-tanned leg definitely looks better/more natural in the sun - in the shade it looks a little orangey, but I think if my other leg matched, the orange wouldn't look as out of place. Also, it didn't really look orange in person, but rather more of a bronze.

When I use this spray tan for real on my wedding ceremony day, I will definitely need some help. Getting my leg today was pretty easy because I could see all of it and was able to use both hands to blend, but doing my arms and back on my own would be impossible. Since my experiment was brief, I can't provide a full review today, but you can expect one within the month after I try it at my ceremony. Today was just a trial run to see if it is even worth wearing at my wedding ceremony, and I am happy to say that it is! 

(Note: I read a few other online reviews of this product and people were saying it doesn't ruin your clothes. They said that it might get on your clothes if you sweat, but it washes out and doesn't stain. I'll let you know how it does with my dress; I'll be dry cleaning it afterwards anyway, so I'm not really worried).

Overall: This spray tan wasn't streaky at all, nor too orangey in person. It was easy to apply, has a nice shimmer to it on the skin, and smells good. I am excited to wear it with my wedding dress and hopefully it helps my arms look less flabby!

Re-buy?: I got a great deal on this product at Marshalls, but on Amazon it looks like it sells for between $10.00 and $20.00. Since I don't know how long the bottle will last yet, nor how well it does with clothing, I am not sure what within that range I'd be willing to pay for this spray. However, if I ever find it for $6.00 again I'd buy it in a second! Too bad Marshall's didn't have another bottle - I'd be there today buying it.

Charles Worthington Big Waves Enhance Spray, 8 fl. oz.

Charles Worthington Big Waves Enhance Spray is a product that I loathe. To me, the only good thing about this product is that it smells really good (which is one of the main reasons why I bought it, in addition to the claims on the label).

Product fail.

I am always looking for hair products that will make my wavy hair look good, but this spray is a complete failure. It is sticky on my hair and hands after I've sprayed it and scrunched it in, and when it dries it mattes my hair (on the underside; thankfully you can't see the mattes). It's like I have dreadlocks going on, and those mattes are so painful to brush out (I have to try to brush them out when my hair is dry, because when I've tried to wash them out in the shower it makes the dreads worse and then I have to try to get them out of my wet hair, which breaks more easily). I've tried using it a few times on the off-chance that it was a one-time thing, but no such luck;  I get the same bad result every time.

Overall: This is an awful product that will suck you in with its great smell and spit you out with dreads.

Re-buy?: No, not in a million years!

Garnier Fructis Leave-In Conditioning Cream, 10.2 fl.oz.

I discovered Garnier Fructis Leave-In Conditioning Cream while attempting to learn how to curl my hair using a straightener via a YouTube video - it must have been fate because I can't seem to find the same video now. Anyway, the girl in the video said she used this product to set the curl because when you use it you doesn't need to use hairspray or anything, and since it's a leave-in conditioner, it's good for your hair. Even though this product sounded too good to be true, I saw it work in the video so I decided to go out and get some for myself (no joke; I went out and got some that very night). Once I got a hold of it, I saw that this leave-in conditioner is actually for "frizzy, dry, unmanageable hair," which I have been known to have. Lo and behold, it works! I put this product in my hair when I want to define my waves, and it doesn't leave my hair looking and feeling greasy like so many other "anti-frizz" products do, plus it smells great. I even used it when I curled my own hair with a flat iron for my wedding (well, a friend helped me curl my hair in the back).

The magic bottle

Check out my hair on my wedding day

This product is not only great for curling your hair with a straightener, it's great for those days when you want to define your waves and give your hair some body without much effort. Here's how I do that:


Step 1: Work a quarter-sized dollop (depending on your hair's length) into your hair and dry your hair for about 5 minutes with a diffuser attached to your blow dryer until it's mostly dry but still slightly damp (most blow dryers I've seen come with a diffuser, so hopefully you still have it). Make sure to blow dry upside-down for at least half the time. If you don't have your diffuser, just blow dry on a lower setting and keep the blow dryer farther from your hair than usual (you should also blow dry upside-down at least half the time). When you're about done blow drying, finish it off by using the "cool" setting all over until your hair feels, well, cool (or at least not hot anymore) - this'll help set the style.

Diffuser on my blow dryer

Step 2: Work another dollop into your damp hair (I usually apply it to my hair upside-down) and put it up in one of those messy ponytail/bun-type things. Leave your hair this way for as long as you can while you continue to get ready (the longer you leave it, the more pronounced your waves).

Messy ponytail/bun-type thing

Step 3: Take the ponytail thing out and fluff your hair a bit by gently putting your fingers through your hair and taking them out again starting at the roots while your head is upside-down (hopefully that makes sense!). If it doesn't look de-frizzed enough, or defined enough, just use more product - seriously, I've never used too much of this stuff and some days I use a lot. After you like the way your hair looks, you can set it with a hairspray or finishing spray if you want; I usually will if it's going to be a long day.

Voilà! Wavy hair with minimal effort

If you want to learn how to curl your hair with a straightener, check out YouTube - I can't vouch for any of those videos because I haven't tried them, but I can recommend using Garnier Fructis Leave-In Conditioning Cream in place of whatever product they use!

Overall: This is a great product, and you get a lot for your money (I think it was only $3 or $4). It smells nice and doesn't leave my hair looking and feeling greasy like a lot of other "anti-frizz" products do, and it's versatile - I can use it to curl my hair with a flat iron, to give my wavy hair some definition, or even in place of a rinse-off conditioner in the shower when I use Neutrogena Anti-residue Shampoo (review for that coming soon). And honestly, you can't use too much of this stuff. If your dollop wasn't big enough the first time, try again with more. Some days I use more than others, but have never felt like I've used too much. It's awesome.

Re-buy?: Yes! I love this hair product.

Bare Minerals Original SPF 15 Foundation, .28 oz (Fairly Light)

I've been using Bare Minerals loose powder foundation since 2008 and I love it! I bought one of the "starter sets" on a whim after seeing one of its infomercials on late-night TV and I am so glad I did. Although I'll occasionally experiment with other foundations to make sure I'm not missing out on something better (Clinique Redness Solutions liquid foundation, for example), this has been my go-to face makeup for years because it works the best for my skin.

 

At first I wasn't sure if it would work for me because I have dry skin and this is a loose powder; I thought might dry out my skin more. But it doesn't! It kind of absorbs into my skin and gives it a nice matte look. I apply it with the Bare Minerals Handy Buki brush, which does the job perfectly. The kit also came with Mineral Veil loose powder which you're supposed to apply after the foundation to "set" the look, but I've used it and haven't noticed a difference between when I apply the Mineral Veil and when I don't, so I don't think it's necessary. 

I also have a very red complexion and this makeup covers it right up. I've heard mixed reviews for people with serious acne, but if you just need to cover redness and a pimple or two this makeup does the job. The best part is, one canister of this stuff lasts me about 6-7 months with everyday wear, and I've gone more than a year without buying a new one if I only wear it a few days a week (sometimes when I'm especially poor I'll brave the world without makeup to conserve money). Here are some before and after pics for comparison:

Without makeup; redness galore

Wearing Bare Minerals in Fairly Light

(Note: I'm only showing half of my face because the other half is being used for the Clinique Redness Solutions review)

Overall: I love this makeup. It's been my go-to foundation for the last three years and I've yet to find something better, although I occasionally try new products just in case. It doesn't dry out my skin, it covers my redness, it lasts all day, and one canister gets me through at least 6 months.

Re-buy?: I've been re-buying it since 2008 and I haven't found any reason to stop yet!

*** Success! Based on this review, a friend of mine was interested in this product and went out and got herself a starter kit from Sephora. Read her reaction (and her friend's) on our Facebook page. ***

Clinique Redness Solutions Makeup SPF 15, 1 fl. oz. (Calming Fair)

When I got married, I went to the Macy's Clinque counter earlier that day to get my makeup done; I was out of town and on a budget so it seemed like the easiest and most cost effective thing to do (if you buy a product, they'll do your makeup for free - since I got a product for my money, not just the makeup job, I liked this plan).  The woman who did my makeup used Redness Solutions liquid foundation on my face, because my complexion has a lot of redness. Even though I am usually a Bare Minerals fan, I decided to buy this Redness Solutions makeup as my "product."

I bought it in "Calming Fair," which seems to be an OK color on me, although I've noticed sometimes when it's really hot it tends to look orangeish (note: this is definitely a product you need to apply all the way down your neck in order to look flawless, or else the color difference will be very apparent). I've also noticed that it glistens on my skin - I know I could solve that problem with a little powder, but to be honest that's just one more step (and product to buy) and I don't like to wear a lot of makeup anyway, so I prefer makeup that I can just apply and wear as-is. In addition, I've noticed that it doesn't last all day - at the end of the day it'll look kind of streaky on my skin if I've touched my face anywhere throughout the day, and I don't like that (this problem would probably also be solved with powder, but you know my stance on that). Here are a few photos, before and after:

Yikes! No makeup

Wearing Clinique Redness Solutions in Calming Fair

(Note: I'm only showing half of my face because the other half is being used for the Bare Minerals review)

It doesn't look bad, but it's just not as good as my Bare Minerals.

Overall: This product does a good job covering up my redness, but it kind of sits on my skin and doesn't absorb, giving it a bit of a glistened effect. It also doesn't last all day without a powder over it. Lastly, it can tend to look orangey in hot weather, when my body temperature is up.

Re-buy?: Probably not. This isn't a bad product, I'm just fortunate that Bare Minerals works better for me.

Dude Review: Roku XD Streaming Player (From Guest Blogger Ethan Fox)

Even though I very badly want a decent 32" LCD for our bedroom that has the Netflix app built in, Larissa and I just don't have the funds and I'm not sure when we will. Did I mention it's dangerous to have a Best Buy credit card?? Well, it is! Anyway, we've been watching a lot of Netflix in our bedroom before we go to sleep, King of the Hill to be exact, and the way I was doing that is I brought my Blu-ray player into the bedroom (because it has the Netflix app) from the living room and I'd temporarily leave it there until we wanna watch a DVD or Blu-ray in the living room again. This got frustrating really fast because the way I have my gear setup, it's not easy to disconnect the Blu-ray player and hook it back up again.

You'd think since I work in the Audio Video industry, I would have thought of this sooner but I totally forgot about the Roku box. You can get them at Best Buy for $79.99 and it plays Netflix, Hulu Plus, Pandora, and a bunch of "internet channels." Since Larissa and I have a Hulu Plus account now (our Dish Network got shut off because we can't afford the bill), the Roku box made perfect sense. Of course I did the dumb thing and put it on my Best Buy credit card, but I had no other choice because I'm brokety broke.

They also sell a $59.99 version on Amazon but I don't think it has Hulu Plus. If you want something very small that streams all the good internet based apps, the Roku box is the way to go! This is of course if you haven't just hooked up your computer to your TV. I did exactly that in my living room. I got a dedicated desktop PC that I use for torrents, Hulu, web surfing etc. I recommend doing that because there is no limit to the content you can watch on your TV. Why buy "Google TV" or "Apple TV" when you can just have a full blown PC or Mac dedicated to your TV!? Think about it.

The Roku box has a really nice interface and remote as well. It even loads quickly and has a fast Netflix interface, which is a big deal! The picture is really good, and I'm not even using HDMI, which it has, I'm just using composite! That's right, our bedroom TV is super old school and doesn't even have inputs. I had to get an RF converter just to hook up ANYTHING to it, haha. The picture is actually better on the Roku than it was on my Blu-ray player, which actually makes sense because the Blu-ray player is meant for watching Blu-rays...

So, do I recommend the Roku box? Absolutely!! If you wanna be able to watch Netflix and Hulu Plus on ANY television in your house, or even take it to a friends house (it's tiny and easy to take anywhere), it's perfect! It can be hooked up WIRELESS OR WIRED!! I ran an ethernet cable to our bedroom for it though because it's definitely faster with it wired, but the wireless option is nice!

Essie Quick-E Drying Drops (.5 oz)

If you paint your own nails, you know that it sucks waiting for your nail polish to dry. Personally, I always end up smudging them because I thought I'd waited long enough to do something, but apparently didn't - and that is the worst! If I have time I'll take the polish off and do the nail(s) over again, but more often than not I have a few ugly smudgy nails.

This happens far less often now that I found Essie Quick-E Drying Drops at Target - they are seriously amazing. All you do is fill the dropper with the liquid and give your nails a drop or two each and wait a minute, and you're good! I've only smudged 2 nails using this product, and I think it was because I had too much nail polish on them so the formula couldn't do its job correctly.

Essie Quick-E Drying Drops

I've had this bottle for a couple of months and have used it for about 5 home manicures, so a little goes a long way. It has no smell, and it feels slightly oily if you get it on your fingers, but that goes away quickly. So far, it hasn't stained any of my clothes or hurt any furniture or anything so I think it's safe. Then again, I haven't specifically tested it on clothes or furniture either, so take normal manicure precautions with it.

Overall: I really like the Essie brand in general and have quite a few of their nail polishes, so I was pleased to find that these drops do exactly as advertised and do so effectively. For $7.99 plus tax, this product is worth the money.

Re-buy?: If I ever get through my current bottle, I'd definitely buy this product again!

Kindle 3 (Latest Generation), Wi-Fi, Free 3G, Graphite, 6" Display

I received my Kindle as a birthday gift from my fantastic husband, but later went to the different bookstores in my area and checked out the other e-readers on the market. Thankfully, I decided afterwards that my Kindle was the best e-reader for me. I am not a huge touchscreen person (my cell phone still has buttons and numbers), so what stood out most to me about the Kindle was the full keypad. The next thing that stood out to me was the texture quality of the "pages" - Amazon uses e-ink technology for these babies, so it really looks like I am reading a page from a book! As such, it works great in direct sunlight. Now, color would be great if I were reading a lot of illustrated children's books, but I read novels that don't have pictures so I am fine with the black ink-only situation. I didn't really care for the color display of some e-readers anyway, because then it's more like a tablet and less like a book, and I wanted my e-reader to stay as close to a book as possible (I hate that LED glare you see on the color devices). If I wanted a tablet, I'd just get an iPad or something (which has e-reader apps); why limit myself to just reading on a device like that?

Full Keyboard - yay, buttons!

E-ink handles black/white illustrations well

Okay. So I like how the Kindle looks (except the boring graphite - I jazzed that up with a skin showcasing Vincent Van Gogh's "Almond Branches"), but how do I feel about how it actually works? I love it!


* I love that I can read in direct sunlight without a glare.
* I love that I can adjust the font and size to match my preferences (I like my fonts slightly larger and sans-serif).
* I love that I can access the Amazon store and download books anywhere with the 3G capability, and I love how easy it is to search for books because of that full keypad. I love that it recommends other books by that author when I am finished with a book, which is quite handy when reading a series. 
* I love that I can highlight phrases that I like and store them for later reference (ahem, Facebook statuses?)
* I love the built-in dictionary - I never realized all the little details I was missing out on when I skimmed over a word I didn't truly have a grasp on and just tried to place it within context. And it's so easy to use! Just use the cursor to highlight the word you want to look up, and the definition pops up at the top or bottom of the page, depending on where the word is.
* I love that I can easily hold it in one hand - it's really lightweight! The one-handed thing is especially great when I think back to reading those 500+ page books and how tired my hand used to get after reading for 3+ hours. 
* I love that I can download free games! Sometimes I don't have a lot of time to read but I want to stay busy, so I'll play a little blackjack or a word game or two - it's so great.  
* I love that it holds up to 3,500 books (not that I'm anywhere close to filling it up).
* I love that the battery life is fantastic (I usually go a month or two without charging, depending on how often I turn on the 3G; I usually turn 3G off while reading to conserve the battery), and it only takes an hour or so to charge. 
* I love that it has experimental features such as music playback, web browser, and text-to-speech audio book listening. 

Thin/lightweight

Easy to hold in one hand

Speakers for music or audiobooks

While I love the music playback and web browser features, I haven't really taken advantage of the text-to-speech yet other than to make sure it works (it does). But just because I love these experimental features doesn't mean they're perfect. Here are some of my issues:

Music:
* There is no way to go back to a track, only skip forward. It would be immensely better to be able to use the page forward and back arrows to go from track to track, rather than only moving forward by pressing alt + F.
* It would be great if a menu containing our songs came up, similar to novels listed on the home page. 


Web browser:
* When I use the web browser on Facebook, 7/10 times it will freeze up, and the only way to fix it is to put it to “sleep” and wake it up again to make the Kindle work. None of the other buttons will de-freeze it.

Here are some issues that I have with the Kindle in general:
* I wish I could pick and choose which images I want to come up as screensavers. I LOVE the birds and fish (they make me happy), but could do without some of the author portraits.
* I would love to be able to delete books right from the home page, rather than having to plug the Kindle it into my computer to archive.
* It would be amazing if the screen could be gently backlit (with more of a golden light, not LED lighting). I am not sure if the e-ink technology would allow it though. I have a reader light, but still have trouble getting lighting just right at night. I know this is something an update couldn’t fix, but maybe something to hope for with Kindle 4?

Yes, that's right - the Kindle is so true to a book that you need a booklight to read at night! That is maybe a little too bookish for me - I kind of expected the e-reader to be backlit, because it's electronic. But then the accessories people would be out of a job, right? Oh, business politics. Anyway, maybe they'll incorporate backlighting someday. Either way, it's not a deal-breaker for me, just a (slight) disappointment.

Overall: I love my Kindle! After experimenting with other e-readers out there, this was definitely the one for me. I love the full keypad, I love the e-ink that gives it that "real book" look, and I love the features and ease of use. I do have a few suggestions (see above), but these are issues I can overlook because they don't compromise the functionality of my reading, which is what I primarily use my Kindle for.

Re-buy?: I hope that my Kindle 3 doesn't become obsolete almost immediately like many cell phones and other electronics tend to, but when it does, I will definitely upgrade (funds pending).