So you like the product reviews?

I have had a number of people ask me to do more product reviews. I kinda like the idea. Also, I kinda like the idea of maybe doing some vlogging. I don't really have the right kind of video camera, but we will see. I think I may get stage fright. Maybe in like 5 years, they will change the words of this song to "Vlogging killed the blogger star".

Maybe I will just post videos of other people. I have a bunch of videos from over the years and I need to do something with them. Maybe I will call it the "EMBARRASSING VIDEO OF THE DAY FROM THE DEPTHS OF BETTY'S HARD DRIVE" No? Yeah...that was lame. Well, I will think of something. UNTIL THEN, stick this in your pipe and smoke it.

Product Reviews of the Day:

A&W Diet Root Beer with Aged Vanilla

If you are like me, then you probably hate soda. I really can only stomach one kind, A&W Diet Root Beer. I think they just changed the recipe or something because it used to not taste this good, and they have a new label that says "With Aged Vanilla." I suggest you snag a can if you get the chance. I love it, and I hate soda.

And.... just for fun. Here is a video of my amazing brother...teaching us all a dance:

Follow up on Recession Obsession

So, I tried the warm wax and it is SO MUCH BETTER. I love it. This is what I bought:

Right now, Sally Beauty has them on sale for around 40 dollars (with a sally card) 50 without a card. The great thing is that with a Sally card, you get discounts on EVERYTHING in the store and it is only $5.00 for a whole year. Just get one. You can also pick up a ped-egg while you are there. :)

The kit comes with everything you need. It will last you forever too. One thing I would also recommend you buy would be baby powder and baby oil. Not necessary, but I think they would be advantageous. Make sure you read the instruction booklet because it tells you everything you need to know.

Enjoy being hair free! haha

Recession Obsession

During my long hours at home taking care of my dad, I often find myself looking for new forms of entertainment. This usually leads to trying bazaar things, and then I get to blog about them. I read a lot of news, watch a lot of Glee and for just a few minutes, try to come up with things to do to take my mind off what is really going on in my life.

I recently read an article that basically said the recession is showing signs of being "over", but that unemployment rates will continue to hover where they currently are (12-13% in many places) well into the next decade. I don't think that translates into "Hurry, everyone! Go spend as much money as you possibly can!" But hey, I'm not an economist.

I do wonder if the amount of debt people are in has increased or decreased over the last year. I can't help but think that the economy is still the same, people have just been scared to spend a dime for the last 9 months or so, and now they have some extra cash to burn and are finally getting the things they wanted. After all, wanting something really really bad is a great reason to buy it, right?

Anyway, the real purpose for this post is to help out those of us who are still very careful with our money, whether by choice or circumstance... So, for those of us who are still trying to SAVE, SAVE, SAVE to ward off anymore unforeseen economic crisis, I have decided to post some money-saving ideas which I have come across. Take them or leave them, but I have actually tried most of them. I will rate them as well so you know what to expect. If you have some ideas which have worked for you, e-mail them to me and I will post them on here for all to read.

1. Homemade lip scrub.

I don't know how your lips react whenever the seasons change, but you would think I was part snake, shedding my summer skin every time fall rolls around. I always get really dry lips and I found this simple recipe online because I didn't want to pay $12.00 for a lip scrub at Ulta. Here it is:

• 1 Teaspoon honey (warmed)
• 1 Teaspoon baking soda
• 2 Drops of Olive oil

Mix all three ingredients together, put some on your clean dry lips and let it sit for about 30 seconds. Then gently start to rub your lips with your finger. (you can rub them together but when I did that I got a taste of the stuff and it was not very pleasant, use your finger:) Rub them for a couple minutes and then wash off the goo with warm water. Then, get some more olive oil and rub a little on your lips.

rating: (***- -)

reason: I think the baking soda actually dried my lips out a little. I think next time I will use sugar instead...

2. In-home body hair removal.

I don't know about you, but I could potentially spend a lot of money on hair removal. I am not a fan of body hair. My friend Roxanne is an esthetician and taught me some tricks to remove my own hair, rather than paying someone a boat-load to do it for you. While, I must admit, practice makes perfect and the first few times you try, well, you may just get what you pay for. In the long run you can save yourself a lot of money. An eyebrow wax can cost upwards of $25.00. I like to have mine professionally done every so often because over time, the shape of the brow needs to be fixed, but I am really cheap and like "free" things. Waxing at home for a few months between professional visits can really make a difference.

I just so happened to come across the "Nad's Hair Removal Strips" (pictured above) in a beauty supply store and they were on sale for $4.00. I love having hair-free arms so I purchased these to try them out. After all, way back in the day, the Nad's infomercial would suck me in every time and I would pine for smooth limbs. I anxiously purchased them and went home to try it out. If you have never waxed your arms before, don't worry, it hurts WAY less than eyebrows.

First you start out by "desensitising your arms" with the little cloth they give you. To be honest, the cloths are like the wet-naps from rib night at Applebee's. However, they did the job. Then you separate the wax papers and place them on your arm, rubbing in the direction that the hair grows. Then, in one swift movement, you rip the sucker off as quickly as possible in the opposite direction in which you rubbed. You can re-use the same strip many times and when it gets un-sticky, you just fold it in half, rub it a little, and then unfold it and wa-lah! Good as new. Highly recommended. HOWEVER, DO NOT attempt to remove hair that is less than 1/4 inch long. It won't work. So, it may take a while before I will be successful at waxing my legs with these strips.

rating:(****-)

reason: It worked well, but I still want to try a warm wax method. I'll let you know how it goes.

3. The Ped-egg

Pedicures are just as important for the cold months as they are for the warm months. Cold weather makes them crack and hurt. I can't afford the $40.00 to get a pedicure every couple weeks so I use a ped-egg. It is AMAZING. I love it! I use it when I get out of the shower and then I put lotion on my feet. Love it, HIGHLY recommend it. You can get one for about $10.00 at Sally's Beauty Supply, or maybe even Wal-mart... I don't know for sure. But I have seen them many places.

rating: (*****)

reason: It works! It's cheap!

So, there you have it. When I am bored and trying to think of things to do, I get dry lips, hairy arms, and nasty feet. So hot right now.

Hello Hello

To be completely honest, I have been avoiding writing an update. Dad seems to be doing just OK. These last couple days have been hard as he has had nausea, headaches, and he can't keep much down. Today was a little bit better because he was able to eat some shrimp tacos from his favorite Mexican food place, and even some See's candy. As the "Pill Nazi", I take care of all the medications. He calls me the Pill Nazi because I don't take "no" for an answer. I have to bribe him with See's candy just to get him to open his mouth sometimes, but I like my job. I believe my official title is Pharmacy Benefits Manager. Sounds so important huh? My other duties include opening the window, closing the window, restarting the CD, getting water, getting See's candy, KFC, McDonalds, and whatever else he wants.

We are so blessed to have such great family members. Just here in Reno alone we have a crew of people on call to come at a moments notice should we need something. My Aunt Carol (an RN) and Uncle Nate (Dad's brother) have been wonderful to us. They sure have been an amazing support to us. We also have an unlimited supply of great friends here that are also equally willing to help out. We call on them frequently and I know this sounds lame and cliche but i REALLY don't know what we would do without them all.

Bradley (dad's cousin) came into town over last weekend. That was fun, despite the circumstances (I say that a lot). I always love when Bradley comes to town. He didn't bring Kendal and Izzy this time which made me sad, but I'm sure we will see them soon. Bradley and my dad have always had a really good relationship. That has trickled down to us kids. We have loads of funny stories about Brad doing crazy things. So many in fact that I could probably have a whole other blog just dedicated to all the fun times.

Some other friends have come into town over the past week or so and it's great to hear stories about my dad in college, law school, and so on. He sure is amazing. He has so many good friends and I think that is because of 2 reasons. 1. He is really funny and everyone just automatically loves him, and 2. He is a really good friend to everyone he meets. Even to people who may have wronged him. He is very forgiving, loving and charitable to everyone he meets. When he was diagnosed, I heard someone say "this is hard because we all think we are his best friend!" It is true. You all are really his best friend because he wouldn't think of anyone as less than that.

Dad seems like he is getting more headaches and more nausea. He gets really tired and nauseated when he has to talk or listen to conversations. He still laughs and jokes when he feels like it though, so that is good. He will still tell a funny story when he can.

I don't know if there is much else to say. I guess I will check back in in a few days...

Love love love!

Oh, also, in my home24/7-ness, I got behind on what is hip and missed the coolifying of the band Owl City. It wasn't until about a week ago that a friend helped me discover them. I literally got out of bed at 2 a.m. and danced to a few songs with headphones. I'm sure, had someone seen, they would have called 911 immediately to report a deranged idiot freaking out in silence. It was fun...

Also at the moment, all my clean clothes are in my hamper and all my dirty clothes are in my laundry basket. How in the...? Life is awesome.

Please comment! I LOVE Comments!

Grrr. Attack of the Angel fish!