Stuff I Love - Natural Edition

I'm a junkie, in case you didn't know.  Okay, maybe not as bad as some people, but I am a supplement/natural remedy/natural product junkie.  I finally put a name on it when I received my last shipment from Vitacost.  Josh laughed.

When other people go to the doctor, I go to the Internet.  I go on a search for something, anything that will keep us from going to the doctor's office. Not because we don't have insurance. We do. And it's really good insurance.  But I guess I just have a lot of faith in natural medecine and, well, less faith in modern medecine. Unless I suspect we need antibiotics, we don't go for any reason but regular check ups.  Granted, we've been really healthy.  But maybe it's all those supplements and natural remedies (?).

I'm not bashing the doctor's office. It's just not my preferred method of getting better.

There are some stellar, amazing products out there that I just love and this post is all about them- some Stuff I Love, Naturally.

First and foremost, my favorite toothpaste in the world:

Desert Essence Tea  Tree Oil toothpaste is amazing and when purchased from one of my favorite online retailers, it costs about as much as a fancy tube of whitening Crest but is far better for your teeth and gums and overall oral health.  Even my hygienist noticed a remarkable difference when I started using it, and that was before I had my braces and my teeth were harder to care for due to crowding.  My oral health is so much better since chucking the big name stuff.  Popular toothpastes are full of bad, bad stuff that dries your mouth out and creates an even worse environment.  Bacteria breed happily and profusely in dry mouths.

Another product I love, also by Desert Essence, is their Tea Tree Balm, sold in a little 1 oz pot.  I've had this pot for quite a while. A little dab will do ya with this amazing balm.  I put it on cuts and scrapes, bug bites, itches, almost anything skin related. It is a potent and natural alternative to typical antibacterial lotions. You can even put a tiny bit on facial blemishes.  This stuff is worth so much more than it sells for, in my opinion.

Everything I have tried by Desert Essence I love (except their dental tape- a bit too thick to be comfy for most people's mouths). Their lotions are paraben and SLS free and rich and creamy. They cost less than the lotion from Bath and Body Works and is far more natural and safer to slather on.   I also love their mouthwash- it's not sweet or harsh on the mouth.

With all this talk of tea tree oil products, I should mention that a bottle of tea tree oil itself is a must have. It's inexpensive and you can mix up your own toothpaste, mouthwash, and balms with it.  You can dab a little on a cotton swab or ball and apply it to bug bites. I even swab some directly on my gums once a week or so and then rinse with water or mouthwash.  It is a fantastic, all  purpose, healthy oil to have on hand.


I've never had any luck losing weight by drinking shakes, but since I'm not a breakfast eater, a good healthy shake is a great way to get some food into me when I'd rather not eat.  The best shake I've found at the most reasonable cost is Alive Pea Protein shakes, sold in both vanilla and chocolate. I love that they are soy-free and relatively low in sugar. Plus they are loaded with vitamins,minerals, and other great things like a veggie blend, orchard blend, and green blend.  Best of all, it leaves me satisfied for a long time.  I know Shakeology is all the rage now and I've heard great things about it. I just can't justify the cost when the Alive shake is such a great product at a third of the cost.  Also, I try to avoid soy, which is Shakeology's main protein component. Not knocking it, but the Alive shake is my preference.

One of the recent things I've grown to love is powdered peanut butter! I had heard of it, but couldn't imagine why you'd use it. I assumed it had as much fat and calories as regular peanut butter. Boy was I wrong!  Two tablespoons of powdered peanut butter has only 45 calories and 1.5 grams of fat... but tastes just like two big scoops of peanut butter in my morning shake. My local Walmart is now carrying it right alongside regular peanut butter, at about $4.50 a jar for 15 servings. Not too shabby and what a great way to save substantial fat and calories (though I have very few bad things to say about fat.)

I've long hated using commercially made deodorants due to the aluminum, among other nasty ingredients.  But frankly, none of the natural, aluminum free deodorants I've purchased have worked. At all.  They just make me feel wet and stinky.  The closest I've come to making my own deodorant is putting some rubbing alcohol on a cotton ball and swabbing my underarms. This does work pretty well because it kills bacteria, but I find I need a little more protection as the day progresses.  In my search for something that could work, and be better for me, I heard about Nature de France deodorants. The reviews were the best I've ever seen for aluminum free deodorant so I decided to give it a shot.  I have to say, this is a fantastic natural deodorant. I still swab with alcohol first, then apply it.  No, it is still not quite as good as popular brands, but it is far better than anything else I've tried.  And even if I start feeling a little wet under the arms, I don't get stinky.

The last product I'll share may be a little controversial, as it involves hormones, but it's been a miracle for me.  I had a miscarriage several years ago at about 12 weeks gestation and it left my hormones totally out of control. Night sweats and hot flashes were the main symptoms.  I waited a while, assuming they would go away, but they didn't.  I did talk to my nurse/midwife about it and I asked if going on the Pill would help. I  was very leery to do this, but desperate to regain balance.  In the end, I took it for a month, then never again.  I did lots of research on what particular hormone imbalance I had and got lots of different answers.  So, perhaps this is bad, but I began some trial and error "research". I began with a progesterone cream, which is often touted as the "cure-all", but it didn't help me at all.  Then I stumbled upon Life-Flo Estriol-Care cream.  It got fairly high reviews and the information about the type of natural estrogen it employs deemed it very safe.  Again, I was desperate, so I ordered it.

And all I can say is, my night sweats are gone completely.  It worked instantly.  I still have a few hot flashes now and then, but typically only when I haven't used the cream.  I do not in any way want to diagnose someone else's problem, and I want to say, for the record, that I'm having a full physical and blood panel done soon, but this product has been amazing for me.  And I think it is little known.  However, I do find it interesting that I've seen it popping up more and more in recent information I've been reading on hormones. I'm extremely thankful for this product and it's is worth every penny!

So there you have it, a few of the things I LOVE!  All of these are available from Vitacost at great prices and some on Amazon too.  And I don't receive a penny for saying that.

Stuff I Love: Project Life Review 2012

2012 was the first year that I used Becky Higgins wildly popular Project Life for all of my scrapbooking.  It was last Christmas at my in-laws that I discovered this product.  We ladies were perusing the Internet, looking at some nifty ideas for our albums, when we came across Project Life. At first glance, it didn't interest me. But after watching the video explaining the premise for it, I was hooked.

Becky Higgins is well known in the scrapbooking community from her days at Creating Keepsakes magazine.  She has more of a minimalist style compared to some, and I've always liked that about her.  She created Project Life to make scrapbooking easier, less time consuming, and to reflect the true stuff of every day life.  It can be used in many ways, but the goal is simple- to get your photos into albums.

Project Life is not page kits.  The basics to use this system are a core kit (with a variety of styles to choose from), page protectors that are divided into easy 6x4 and 4x3 slots, and a three ring 12x12 album.  The core kit includes 4x3 journaling and filler cards as well as 6x4 cards.  To begin scrapbooking with Project Life, you simply insert your pictures into the protector slots and fill it in with cards from the core kit.   You can also purchase coordinating paper and cardstock to cut to size for the protector slots.

I used the Clementine core kit for 2012.  At first I tried to simply use the Project Life protectors and the paper and supplies I already had in my collection... but I soon realized it wasn't going to be as quick and easy this way.  So I ordered the core kit.  Then the matching paper.  After doing this, documenting our year became much quicker and enjoyable.

Here's what I love about Project Life.

1.) I truly documented more of the "little stuff". Getting a new cell phone.  A lost tooth.  An impromptu nap on the deck.  I didn't need many photos of a big event to create a layout with Project Life. One picture could easily be inserted into a page with a journaling card to describe it.

2.) Everything coordinates.  I keep my core kit box, paper, protectors, and pictures in a tote bag and can easily pull it out to work on it with only a few basic tools.

3.)  I get a lot done in a little time.  Most recently I nearly completed 14 two-page layouts in a day.  I stay-up-to-date easier.

4.) I don't have to spend a lot of time coming up with a page design.  I simply choose the protector style that best suits my pictures, slide them in, then fill in the rest with paper.

5.) The pictures stand out.  It's not about the fancy paper or embellishments, it's about the photos.

6.) All products are available on Amazon.com for free super-saver shipping or with your Prime benefits.

7.) The pockets are easy to stick other memorabilia in, too.

There are some things I learned along the way, too.

1.) Yes, use the core kit and matching accessories for ease of use.

2.) It doesn't have to be perfect.  Sometimes I even insert pictures in the wrong direction to make a layout work.  I do the same with journaling cards.

3.)  A lot of people share their Project Life albums online. But they barely look like Project Life because they are so embellished with other things.  It was discouraging.  But then I let it go and realized the point was to document the life of my family.  Project Life will not be fancy unless you make it so. But it will be cohesive and simple while looking nice.

4.) I used one alphabet stamp set for the whole album.  I packed it in my tote with the other Project Life stuff. Again, easy and guess-free as far as designing pages and titles.  I did use some other lettering sources a few times, but for the most part I kept it simple.

5.) The easiest protector styles to use are A, C, and D.

There are a few things I didn't like about Project Life.  The journaling cards only have lines going in one direction.  The 4x3 cards are made to be inserted vertically, never horizontally because the journaling lines would then run up and down instead of across. This made it really challenging to use some of the styles of protectors and add journaling cards to them. That is why I recommend the styles above.  I also thought there was a lack of graphic cards, cards not for journaling but just for adding design to the page.  After looking at the latest video on how to use Project Life, it looks like this has been remedied. The new core kits have 4x3 cards with journaling lines on one side and graphics on the other.  Another frustrating thing is that many of the products quickly sell-out and stock can take a while to be replenished. Especially at the beginning of a new year when Project Life fans are stocking up for their new albums.  I plan to use the Olive kit this year.  The website says it will be available in late December.  It's the 28th and so far it is not in stock.  And I guarantee that as soon as it is, it will sell out.  So I'll have time to finish up my 2012 album before getting next year's started.

All in all, I really enjoyed making my Project Life album, and as I said, I plan to do it again for 2013.  I'm in a season of life when simple is what I need.  I'm not up for a lot of planning right now, whether it is for homeschooling or scrapbooking.  I feel like I've rediscovered why I began scrapbooking in the first place- to  preserve precious memories of my family in the form of photographs and simple words jotted on a page.  Scrapbooking has become such a huge industry.  Fancy tools and machines, expensive papers and embellishments, yes, they make for beautiful pages.  But while my life is beautiful, it's simple.  Project Life helps me reflect that in my pages.

If you have never scrapbooked but love the idea of starting, I think Project Life is perfect. You need very minimal supplies to get started. If you love to scrapbook, but are overwhelmed and way behind, I think 2013 is a great year to start Project Life.  If you love fancy and thrive on making your own creative pages, then it's not for you.  Whatever you feel about scrapbooking, I hope you make tons of wonderful memories in 2013!

Stuff I Love- Homemade Laundry Soap

I love to share a good thing.  I'm happy to hear that many of you have tried some of the "stuff I love" and that you are loving it too.  I feel a little like Martha Stewart, sharing her "good things".  And I'm a Martha wanna-be (no snide jokes about prison now).

Today's "stuff I love" is a recipe given me by my friend Lisa.  She mentioned she was making her own laundry soap and that it worked great.  The cost per load- a mere two cents- and the ease of making the recipe were all the incentive I needed to give it a shot.  It has only 3 major ingredients, each found in the laundry soap section of major stores like Super Walmart: Fels Naptha soap, which comes in a bar, washing soda (Arm and Hammer is the most common brand), and Borax.  You'll be amazed how far these three items go to make loads upon loads of fresh, clean laundry!

Homemade Laundry Soap

You will need a bucket or container that can hold at least 2 gallons as that is how much detergent this recipe makes.

1/3 bar Fels Naptha soap, grated or chopped up finely

1 cup washing soda

1 cup Borax powder

Heat grated soap in a a large sauce pan with 6 cups of water until the soap melts.

Add washing soda and Borax and stir until dissolved.

Remove from heat.

Pour 4 cups of hot water into bucket. 

Add soap mixture to bucket and stir.

Add 1 gallon PLUS 6 cups of water to the bucket and stir.

Let the soap sit for 24 hours. It will gel.

Use 1/2 cup per load.

You may also had some drops of essential oils if you would like to add more scent.

I put the soap to the test with some chocolate stained pants of mine and a bib covered in smooshed chocolate.  The results:

After:

The one spot remaining is a stain that has been on the bib for quite a while- ink I think.  I'd say the proof is in the pudding- this stuff works- and I love it!



Stuff I Love- Reynolds Non-Stick Aluminum Foil

Summer is unofficially here, but we don't stand on ceremony.   We ushered in this most anticipated season the first time we cracked open the grill lid and cooked up some burgers.  I think almost everything tastes better on the grill and we've been experimenting with cooking more than just meat on ours. 

Josh got the opportunity to go fishing last week with a close friend who is moving  He brought home two brook trout and painstakingly cleaned them and took the skin off.  You can eat the skin of trout, but most often it seems to peel off, along with the seasonings, once it's been baked or broiled.  We coated it in cajun and lemon pepper seasoning and decided to grill it on foil.  But we were out of foil.  I made a quick dash into the grocery store to get some and the yellow on the box of this Non-Stick Reynolds Wrap caught my eye.

Heavy duty. Non stick.  Sounded good and hopefully wouldn't peel the seasoning off our trout.

It didn't.  This is truly beautiful stuff. 

I've since cooked apples with brown sugar and pecans on the grill using this foil to make a tray for it and did the same for my first ever batch of jalapeno poppers.  Nothing burned, nothing stuck to it.  It didn't rip, it didn't get all wrinkly.  This was a good find.

Amazing how something so simple can make cooking easier.

Now, you probably don't care half as much about this foil as you do my jalapeno poppers.  Not to make your mouth water, but they were amazing.  I got the recipe from my Pioneer Woman cookbook, the first one.  The recipe isn't available on her website, so I must share it with you, Steph-style of course.  They are EASY!  If I'd known how easy, I would have made them years ago.

First, you'll need a bunch of fresh jalapenos, larger ones are nice.  I think I used about 10 of them.  I recommend wearing gloves if you can when handling them.  It's hard to get the oils from them off your hands and you might feel the burn in ways you wish you hadn't.  With that said, cut them in half, scoop out the seeds or leave them in if you like serious heat.

To make the stuffing, you'll need a package of cream cheese and about 1/2 cup of cheddar or pepper jack cheese.  I just scooped a few handfuls in.  I added some sliced green onion. Mix it up. Stuff each pepper half.  (This is so easy, as the cheese mixture is like Play-Dough in consistency).  Next, either wrap each pepper in half a slice of bacon or do what I did- cook the bacon ahead of time and then lay a piece on top of the cream cheese mixture.  Last, baste it with your favorite BBQ sauce.  But a toothpick or skewer through each one.  Lay a piece of Reynolds Non-Stick Foil on your grill.  Set the peppers on it and cook for about 20 minutes (if using precooked bacon). 

Finally, eat way more of them than you thought you would. The bacon and BBQ sauce make them irresistible. Isn't bacon like a gift from God? I know that's heresy to many. But I tend to think it's true.

Stuff I Love: The Beautiful Life Management Planner

I'm one of those people that likes to research a product really well before I buy it. I also find that I can be a bit of a spontaneous shopper, as well, but when making a major purchase, I like to get the goods on it first. I rely greatly on amazon.com reviews, Consumer Reports magazine, and the web site Consumersearch. If we're in the market for a specialty products (such as Josh's hiking items or homeschool curricula) we go to sites that are more specialized.

One of my greatest pet peeves is review of a product that goes something like this:

OMG! I like totally love this! It looks really cute and my boyfriend likes it. We haven't tried it yet, but I totally give it 5 stars!

Or something like this:

I thought this would be bigger. I know the package says the size, but most items like this are bigger. I guess it works okay, but I'm only giving it one star.

Or this:

I didn't like this book. One star.

My main complaint are reviews that are made far too soon, like before a product has even been used, or a week into using it. I want to hear from the people who have used something for a long time and found it to be a success or failure. And I want to know precisely what makes it a success or failure in their estimation.

So, with this review of the Beautiful Life Management Planner, I stand to be one of my own pet peeves. Honestly, I've only had it for a few weeks, and I've only used for a little more than one week. But I am so excited about it, and many people have asked me about it, so I want to share the deets on what it is and why I love it.

I need to go back a bit in time. At last year's homeschool convention, my sister-in-law and I were looking at a popular planner marketed to homeschool moms and, while we like it, it still didn't seem to be versatile enough to warrant the price tag. Because not only do we need a teacher's planner, but a household management planner, an appointment book, a record of goals and accomplishments, shopping lists, menu sheets, and a long-term, year-at-a-glance- type perspective. I walked away with my usual inexpensive Rod and Staff school planner and continued using a cheap spiral notebook to keep track of all the other things.

The spiral notebook worked to an extent, but it was full of random lists, phone numbers, and such that got junky and confusing really quickly. Shortly after we moved into our new house, as I unpacked a box of books, I came across a thriftbooks purchase, Open Heart, Open Home by Karen Mains. I thought it was a perfectly suitable book to read at the start of our new adventure, in a new house and town. Our heart has always been hospitality, and this book really renewed and reinvented that vision as I read it. One particular chapter greatly stressed time management. While I consider myself fairly disciplined with my time, I was convicted that I do a lot of time wasting. And that isn't conducive to answering any call of God.

As it relates to opening our home, nothing makes inviting people over more stressful than racing around the whole day before they come, cleaning the house. And then racing around again Sunday morning before church to get the meal ready or worrying about what to make in the first place. It doesn't take much for me to call off the notion of inviting people over- unmopped floors included.

I had barely begun considering how I could manage the house better when I saw an ad in a homeschool magazine that offered a free article called "Planning to Be a Blessing". Something about that title really caught my eyes and I think hits the nail on the head- planning my days, weeks, years better can result in being more of a blessing to my family and others. The ad was for a company called Grace Works and mentioned that they sold a variety of planners. I didn't waste much time checking out their website.

What I saw, I loved, and knew right away that this was what I had been looking for! Grace Works offers a variety of planning pages to help the natural-born organizer or the organizationally challenged! I would say I fall closer to the former type. I love making lists, checking them off, and get a sense of accomplishment from this (hey, it's the little things in life!). However, I don't necessarily have a lot of practical know-how on how to organize a full life of homeschooling, keeping the house, ministry, bills, appointments, etc. And I am not a natural-born cleaner (I didn't inherit that gift from my mom!)





There are two main planning systems that Grace Works offers. The Simplicity system and the Beautiful Life Management System. The Simplicity system has a basic set of planning pages that include a place to jot down things to do, errands to run, upcoming birthdays etc. It can be supplemented with a variety of practical and wonderful sheets including an itemized grocery list, menu sheets, prayer log, devotions log, exercise and nutrition sheets, and even one designed to write down memories, like the cute things your children say that you don't want to forget.





I purchased the Beautiful Life Management system starter set. This system offers much more detailed instructions regarding home management- specifically, it assigns cleaning tasks to each day of the week and a number of minutes to spend on them. This was the primary selling point for me. I have long known I need some kind of system of household chore maintenance. I tried Fly Lady but she just wasn't my thing. I am more of a pen and paper girl than a virtual girl, so logging on to Fly Lady was half the problem.





The thing I love about this system, however, is that it goes far beyond telling you what chores to do each day. It has several divided sections, the first being your BLM sheets, one for each day. Not only are the household tasks listed, but there is also a place to chart your water and vitamin consumption, exercise, your schedule or food log, your list of things to do, reminders to prepare for dinner, and a place to write down a special memory at the end of the day. I honestly can't think of anything that is missing from the sheets or that there isn't room to add if you need to.





There is also a divider of "Keeping in Mind" pages to jot down errands you need to run, a quick shopping list, letters or cards to write, and short and long term projects. The divider for this section has on one side a place to write down 10 quick and easy meals in case you get in a bind and need a supper idea pronto! The other side has lists of additional things you need to do to keep your home maintained (for me, it's things like matching socks, vacuuming around the wood stove, and giving the kitties their flea treatment each month). Another divider is for your personal devotions, a sheet called Morning Latte. It's a great tool for accountability to be spending time with the Lord each day. Another divider includes a year at a glance fold out calendar and then 12 months worth of individual calendars. Another divided section is for frequently called phone numbers and addresses. The final divider has sheets called Mountains of Success, a place to chart goals you have set for yourself. The starter set also comes with a 4 CD workshop by the system's creator. This is such a blessing, inspiration, and a great tutorial on how to use the system and not be enslaved to it. The kit comes with a pack of tea, too, to encourage you to sit and relax and get to know your planner.





As I said, I am a pen and paper girl. I don't have a mobile phone that sends me a reminder on Mondays to clean out my refrigerator. The Beautiful Life Management system fits into a 5.5 by 8.5 heavy duty spiral binder that I can put in my purse and take with me everywhere. (Today it's going to Caleb's ortho appointment with me, the paperwork all filled out and tucked inside, along with directions on how to get there).





I bought a few additional sheets to supplement my system, because I'm such a list keeper. The menu planning sheets and itemized shopping lists are invaluable to me!





There were fleeting thoughts as I looked at the available pages online that I could come up with something like this myself. I'm so glad that thought came and went quickly and that I invested the $40 to get this planner! The guess work has been done for me and I find that this feels much more official than if I had created something myself.





Let me share how it has already made my life easier.





On Saturday, we had company coming for dinner, a young couple we've met at church. I'd only been using the system and planner for one week, but on Saturday, I found that the only thing I really had to do was dinner prep! All week I had been faithful to do the recommended chores each day and I found that my house was clean and presentable (not spotless, not without strewn toys, etc) and that I wasn't ashamed to have anyone step into it. I got to enjoy my Saturday! Even with company coming.





The second Monday of using the system rolled around and I found that my pantry was still mostly orderly and my refrigerator clean. I didn't even need to spend the assigned number of minutes on each of those tasks, so I ended up cleaning my oven (whoa!) and straightening the cupboard we use the most, the one that holds coffee, tea, sugar, flour, bread, and our vitamins. I can see how, if I remain faithful in following this, it will get easier and easier because I'm doing preventive maintenance!





I read a verse yesterday in 1 John 5:3 telling us that if we love God, we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. It's wonderfully freeing to not live under rules, but to live under grace and to obey God out of pure love. I was reminded that my commandments to my children should not be burdensome, either, but that our relationship should be based more on love. Then obedience to the commands we do give will not be a burden, but they will hopefully want to respond out of their love for Josh and I.





I mention this verse because for some, using a system like this sounds like it would be completely burdensome, following rules each day. For some it would be like pulling their fingernails out! I get that. Again, I tend to want to be organized, to follow a list. However, who really, in their natural self, wants to live within parameters? So often we try to for a time, then get tired of it, or frustrated, and give up. I'm trying to keep in mind that this system is not designed to be burdensome, but, as they say in the included workshop CDS, it's designed to be my servant and to work for me, not the other way around. Even though I like that feeling of control that I get from following the rules, the freedom I gain from this should play out in love...





Being able to spend more time loving my husband and kids, playing with them, listening to them, because I'm not worried about mopping the floors. I do that on Friday. It assures me that I will get to the tasks, but all I need to focus on is what is planned for today.



I'm not freaking out and grouchy because we have people coming for dinner and everything is a mess! Or I can't find the paperwork I need for the ortho appointment. I tucked it in my planner on depapering day. Less stress = more love!





I feel more relaxed about having people over. Again, our home is lived in, but the bathrooms aren't gross and I'm not exhausted by the time they arrive.





My husband can walk through the front door and sigh in contentment (as he did last night) that the entry is finally empty of boxes of books.





I sigh in contentment because I deliberately planned for healthy meals ahead of time, bought the right ingredients, and watch my kids eat good stuff instead of what I could quickly throw together for lunch.





For me, these "commands" (which are only suggestions) in the BLM system are not burdensome, they are refreshing and helping to purposely live out the call God has put on my life.





I hope you'll check out the Grace Works site and see what they have to offer, especially if you're looking for a way to better plan your days and months. I have been so blessed by this product (and no , I don't receive any perks for writing this blog! I just like to pass on a great thing and give praise where it is due!). I think the name of their company speaks volumes... God's grace works, rules don't. These planners are designed to help you be a blessing to the people you love and to answer God's call on your life, not to enslave you to a set of rules. With Christmas and the New Year coming, this could be the very thing you'd like to put on your wish list or buy for yourself to get a great start on a new year!

Stuff I Love!- Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Dark Circles Eraser

I consider myself fairly low maintenance when it comes to my appearance. Yes, I do seem to be getting to the hair salon quarterly rather than biannually as of late, but you'll still find my hair in a pony tail nearly every day. I color it at home, too.

As for make-up, I'm pretty much a foundation and lipstick kind of girl. You'll probably never see me without lipstick. But mascara, eye shadow, blush... it's just not my thing.

I've never been a fan of concealer. Typically we're told to purchase concealer a shade lighter than our skin tone. It applies like spackle and looks cakey and dry, or else it rubs off in the process of blending it.

All women have a feature they are trying to accentuate... and probably a dozen they are trying to hide. Since having Petite, I seem to be plagued by dark circles under my eyes. I figure it's hormonal. I've had very little success in covering them up, either with foundation or concealer. Once in a while, I sense the rut I am getting in with either my hair or make-up and head to Rite Aid for some kind of pick-me-up. Last week was such a time. As I perused the make-up aisles, I saw the display for Maybelline NY's Instant Age Rewind product line. The Dark Circle Eraser specifically caught my raccoon-like eyes. After minimal consideration, I figured I'd pay the $7.99 and give it a shot.

And I am so glad I did! I got the Neutralizer shade which I later read on the package was for more difficult dark eye circles. Score for me! After unwrapping the tube, you twist the tip until product reaches the round-tip sponge applicator. This in itself is novel, as most concealers look like a tube of Halloween white lipstick or have a skinny wand. The concealer goes on smooth as satin and blends beautifully, without wiping away. It doesn't look or feel cakey and doesn't make my undereyes so pale that I look like a clown! As soon as I applied it, I fell in love with the product. I also used it on a few- ahem- pimples on my chin. Aren't the 30s crazy for skin changes???? I applied foundation (a new one I had picked up the same day) over the concealer and was so, so pleased with the results. It looked so natural and my undereye circles were hidden.

But another true test is how well the concealer holds up. I'm happy to report that it stayed put til I washed it off at the end of the day. I looked just as bright-eyed as when I first applied it!

I don't know all the science behind this product, but typically these "age rewinding" cosmetics offer light-reflecting properties. Whatever the science, I have used it for a week and feel confident telling you that I love this stuff! Now you may never see me without lipstick or with dark circles!

*I'd love to know if there are any "beauty" products you swear by! What stuff do you love for your skin???? Tell me, tell me!