Pityriasis Rosea from Zaggora Hot Top

I’m posting this in hopes to find other women who experienced Pityriasis Rosea or any other rashes from a Hot Top made by Zaggora. I have posted about them before. In fact, they were one of my favorite things from 2012 and I still love the products. I am just baffled by this rash and want to know if anyone else had this happen to them.

Zaggora came out with new colors of their Hot Top and I purchased a grey one as a Groupon Goods item.

After wearing it to work out I broke out in a weird rash that was later diagnosed as Pityriasis Rosea, a harmless rash that has a distinctive pattern. I took the medication and after it went away I wore the other tops from the same company (but from their original batch of products) and was fine. I then wore the same top again, freshly washed, and broke out in the same rash again.

I could only conclude that the Hot Top was the cause of my rash. It is a bit strange, though, because Pityriasis Rosea is generally thought to have no known cause, but some physicians believe there are triggers.

I contacted both Zaggora and Groupon, who refuse to offer a refund, exchange, or replacement in any form. I even offered to send it back to the manufacturer for analysis, but they had no interest.

In a month long email conversation with Zaggora they originally offered an exchange if I obtained a doctor’s note saying he believed it caused my rash. I obtained the note, they they said they could not locate my order. I advised again, as I stated in all emails, that I got it via Groupon Goods. The reneged on their exchange offer and  ultimately argued that it is neoprene based and that some people’s skin reacts to it.

Even though I have mentioned it in nearly every email they fail to comprehend  that I have 6 other of their neoprene items and have had no breakout whatsoever. I also scuba dive and have worn a variety of rental wetsuits while traveling, also with no breakouts.

Groupon is unable to offer a refund because it is well over their 14 day return policy by now.

Has anyone, anywhere broken out in a rash after wearing a Zaggora Hot Top? If so, please comment and let me know what color where you ordered it from

On Disappointment

I had actually planned for my next post to be on something else entirely but I felt I needed to share this one instead. Normally I am on top of the world all of the time, one of the happiest people you’ll meet. I’m that person at the office that’s less than thrilled it is Monday but is happy to be back and around my co-workers.

Very little gets me down. I roll with the punches, shake it off, and push through it.

But today. Today was one of those days that I imagine many of my co-workers and friends lament about both on Facebook at at the office.

Today I experienced disappointment after disappointment and it was even the first weekend of Spring Break, at that. It wasn’t even a bad day. Nothing terrible happened. It was just very disappointing.

It started out with one of our cats freaking out while I was carrying him and clawing the crap out of my chest, back, and arm.

Last Wednesday I was diagnosed with Pityriasis rosea (a temporary rash with no known cause) so my poor skin just can’t get a break. Now I have scratches to match my weird splotches. That’s hot!

Then my husband and I decided to go see Oz in IMAX. Those know who me IRL know that I avoid carbs the majority of the time but I look forward to a little movie theatre popcorn once in a while. I get a small tub of unbuttered popcorn, and was bummed to discover that after the first layer it was mostly broken up pieces and kernels.

So now I’m thinking “this movie’s going to be awesome so it will make up for it.” Wrong. If you want to see Oz, wait until it comes out on DVD. It was okay. Barely “meh.” Had we seen it in non IMAX and at night when it was more expensive I would have been more sad about it. Predictable, lack-luster. I know it was a PG movie, but come on, Disney. You usually make it entertaining for adults, as well.

Then I lost an auction on some scuba equipment on eBay when I should have just chosen “Buy It Now” 3 days ago. I will be kicking myself for that one for a while.

So now I’m cut up, itchy, unsatisfied with both carbs and the movie, and am without that piece of scuba luggage. First world problems, I know. I’m happy, generally healthy, financially secure, and have an awesome soul mate to get through days like today with. In the end, that’s all that really matters. Only I am both confused and fascinated by how bummed out I got over all this. I can definitely see how back to back let downs can really get someone down in the dumps.

I definitely look forward to seeing what tomorrow brings. Surely it will be more relaxed and more full of promise.

David just suggested we make sushi tomorrow..it’s already looking up!

Have you ever had a day like mine?

I Won A Full Makeover!

Here’s a little story about winning a makeover that changed my life.

I was scrolling through Facebook mid January and saw a post from a local newspaper asking military wives with husband’s returning in early February to submit a brief essay about why they should win the “Give Me Liberte” makeover,

I’m an opportunist, and was an English major who has won a few local awards in my day, so I thought it was worth a shot since David’s return date was within that time frame.

A week later I got the call that I had won. I was pretty excited to be one of the winners. Then I found out I was THE winner.

A bit about me- I am a very low maintenance kind of person. Before the makeover my last haircut was about 8 months ago. I pulled my hair back into a low pony and went to work with whatever I grabbed from my closet that day. I gave very little thought to what I wore to work, though I did actually try when it came to going out with my husband. I never wear makeup,  shop mostly at thrift stores, and I have  lost over 50 pounds in the previous few years and went from a size 16 to a size 4.

My weight loss is credited to a few things. Besides my husband’s support and willpower, I lost the weight with Medifast  and I lost the inches after I reached my goal with Zaggora’s weight loss clothing.

I had no idea what was in store for me. I assumed there would be some outfits, some makeup, some hair stuff, etc. I tried on AMAZING European clothes, got my hair done from a premier local stylist, had my makeup done by someone who has done work on A list actors in LA, had a professional photo shoot, and GOT TO KEEP THE CLOTHES.

The store providing the makeover was Liberte of Oklahoma City. I had never even been in a boutique before, much less tried anything that expensive on. The store itself is incredible. If you get a chance check out the gallery on the website. It is very modern and chic.

The outfit they gave me is worth more than everything in my closet combined. I shop primarily at thrift stores because I am so very cheap so when I saw a $100 t-shirt, a $300 scarf, and $2,000 dresses in this store I had to touch them all because I assumed I never would have the opportunity again. While I can afford some of the items there I am not yet physically able to let myself even fathom purchasing an item of clothing that costs that much. Maybe someday I’ll get there…

I chose a fuchsia satin knee-length “Esther” style skirt by Temperley London ($690), a Valentina Shah “Laura” style black sweater with lacy cap sleeves and details ($225), a “Crystal Bow Belt” by Temperly London ($830) and a pair of nine-carat crystal dangle earrings by Crislu ($145).

It changed my life because I never thought I could be photogenic (because I freeze up in front of a camera), had never dyed my hair (and I LOVE IT!), had never really seen my new size 2/4 figure before, and met some amazingly generous people I never would have without this makeover. It was an incredible experience I will remember forever!

You can read the full article by Mood Magazine for The Oklahoman here. It also appeared on the front page of The Oklahoman (above the fold) and was a full cover and feature on the Mood fashion insert. That was a huge surprise- I thought it was just going to be on the website so it was kind of surreal to see myself on the cover of a fashion feature.

Here are some pictures. The article linked above has a pretty cute video they put together.

My Favorite Things From 2012

2013 is quickly approaching so I wanted to share my favorite things from 2012 with you. These are companies, products, or practices that made my life easier and I hope you’ll also find them useful in the new year.

1. Zaggora Hot Pants

I saw these weight/inches loss fitness pants on a Groupon once and for $26 plus $7.50 shipping I thought it was worth trying. Zaggora Hot Pants are by far my most favorite fitness purchase ever. I started out with the Hot Pants in black. At the time of this posting I now have 2 pairs of Hot Pants, 2 Hot Tops, and 2 pairs of Flares. Those who know me know I’m cheap and when I start accumulating items you know they’re worth every penny.

10% off code: ASCHNABEL

These products come from the UK and at one time their promotional materials promised to help wearers burn 4 times the calories during a 30 minute workout. Now their website discusses energy expenditure and the like but as a wearer I swear by them.

An unexpected benefit was that wearing Zaggora products has made my skin very smooth.Before I started working out in them I was a size 8. Now I am a size 4 after approximately 3 months of wearing them in my regular work outs which are cardio 2-3 time a week for 15-20 minutes combined with watching my caloric intake. An

Since they come from the UK it is about 2 weeks until your receive your order and they are pricey without a Groupon but very worth it. FYI Zaggora still runs Groupons every few months or so.And this may be TMI, but I have always struggled to sweat during a workout and we all know sweating is good for the skin and helps shed water weight. Thanks to Hot Pants I’ll never have to worry about that again- you get a really great sweat going when you wear these!

 

2. Mint.com

This is the personal finance tool I have been looking for. Mint.com is a free service provided by Intuit (the company behind Quicken and Quickbooks) and it seriously has everything I’ve ever wanted in a budgeting tool, plus there is a free mobile app. It is very secure and easy to use. If you’re into personal finance you’ll want to use this tool.

You can see account balances in real time, explore graphs and charts, use tools to set goals, get recommendations based on your spending habits, and you can see all your accounts in one place, on one screen. Seriously. This product changed my life and I strongly suggest you check it out.

3. MyFitnessPal

MyFitnessPal is a free website and mobile app that lets you track your daily caloric intake, weight, and exercise/activity. You can even get fit with a friend and see and comment on their progress. It is a free service, so the website version does have some ads, but the mobile version seems to be ad free.

The website says millions have lost weight using it and I am happy to say I am one of them.

It is very easy to use and has nutrition facts on some 2 million foods, including fast food, restaurants, and even homemade meals. Sometimes you’re unable to find exactly what you ate but you can get really close.

Plus when you’re done with your weight loss you can still use its resources; I have reached my goal weight but I still use it to track my daily calorie intake and exercise. This is a tool I use every single day and I hope it stays around for years to come.

 4. Amazon Prime

Amazon is awesome…but Amazon Prime is even better. Free 2 day shipping on most items, access to their streaming content, and great prices on tons of items? Yes, please! They offer a free trial so you can test the waters but I’m willing to bet if you shop there oftenyou’ll be hooked.

After the trial expires you’re left with the decision to keep it or cancel. The membership is somewhat steep at $79 a year but if you shop at Amazon often enough it pays for itself. We are one of those Amazon families so having Prime has definitely made my life easier this year.  As of this post we have made 117 Amazon purchases. The majority of those purchases were prime eligible so if you do the math you can see how much it saves you.

What were your favorite things from 2012?

Please Read This First Before Asking Me About Medifast

This post is because of the countless questions I’ve been asked and the countless long phone calls I’ve been on with people talking with them about Medifast.

This post might rub you, dear reader, the wrong way and know that was never my intent. I am just going to do a tell all here rather than continue spend hours on the phone with people who a) buy the food and quit or b) never even try. Every time I talk to someone about it they do with a or b..and it makes me wonder why I even bothered spending my time trying to help.

It is so very frustrating..so, here goes.

1 year ago I weighed about 170 pounds. I say “about” because I stopped weighing at 160 pounds but from looking back at pictures I think 170 is a conservative estimate.

Today, May 3 2012, I weigh 119 pounds with no exercise. (Click picture for full size)

Here’s the secret. Medifast. You can read all about it at their website. In fact, I will just only tell you about my experience with it. If you do it, good for you. If you don’t, that’s your choice.

I started Medifast because I got a severe ankle sprain. I have loose ligaments meaning I can do several of those double-jointed tricks. The downside was I had no idea until AFTER this injury.

• I started out by counting calories. What I found, though, was that my large sweet tea from McDonalds was taking up more of my calorie “budget” than I wanted so, I was drinking my calories and was missing out on the protein/carb balance so I had to change that habit eventually. I probably lost about 10 pounds counting calories.

• Then I started using the Wii Fit and lost about 10 more pounds. The Wii Fit requires you to do it barefoot. Seeing as I have no arches (due to the loose ligaments as I found out later) I sprained my ankle something FIERCE. It was a 8-9 month ordeal. I saw 2 orthopedic surgeons. Both told me I would have to have surgery and that it would be 12 months before I could walk again.

I decided that I had to keep losing weight so I could at least have a chance at recovery through physical therapy. David, my husband, had seen someone’s Medifast results in a forum once and did it himself with amazing results so I though I could give it a try.

With his encouragement, I ordered a full month’s supply. I kicked and screamed over it though. I loved food. I didn’t want to quit eating whatever I wanted. But I knew I needed to.

I was a sweet tea or coke a day kind of person before Medifast and now it has been 1 year since I have had sweet tea OR a full strength soda. Now, lots of people say sugar substitute causes cancer but you know what? I have bad genes as it is and we’re all going to die one of these days I might as well die in the body I want!

Here’s the deal:

Medifast is a 5 and 1 meal plan. You eat 5 of their meals and 1 lean and green meal a day. There is a chart that even tells you the leanest of the lean to the fairly lean meats.

1.  I ordered the pre-selected foods on the women’s plan. My advice- try the bars, shakes, puddings and brownies.
2. The peach tea is TERRIBLE. The soups are okay, but they take too long to make. The eggs are actually good but, again, they take time to prepare. The oatmeals were tolerable at first but then I began to hate the taste of them- they also take time to make.  (see a trend here?) I wanted a quick, easy solution and the bars and such fit the bill.
3. The hardest part was the first 3 days. Your body has to adjust to the lower calorie intake so I suggest starting the plan on a Friday.
4. David was VERY supportive and we went through and donated any pastas or otherwise unhealthy food/snacks we had left.
5. I began to really get into the My Medifast forums. You will find lots of tools, support, recipes, and the like. Reading and connecting with other Medifasters really helped me in the early weeks of the process.

My goal was to get down to 130 pounds.

I noticed inches coming off before I noticed weight. My clothes were getting baggy. I kept with it. I lost a few pounds at a time until they all started adding up. Down 1 dress size. Then another. And if I failed (and I did cheat ALL the time. My biggest fail was cheese dip) then I just ate my next Medifast meal on time. The weight came off and I kept going.

That’s the long and short of it. Commit to the program. Commit to eating the food. Commit to your own success and you WILL LOSE WEIGHT. I cheated, was physically unable to exercise, and actually lost MORE than my goal weight on Medifast.

And, for the record, I get paid NOTHING to tell you about Medifast. I want people to know that if I can do it (and I am one of the weakest willed people in the world when it comes to food) then THEY can do it.

I kept the weight off for 6 months without being on Medifast. I got down to 124 pounds.

• I ate the same concept of 6 meals a day- Egg whites and turkey bacon, a fruit, sugar free yogurt, a turkey unwich wrap (no bread, just lettuce) maybe some crabstick by itself, and then a lean and green meal.

I gained nothing back but I felt like giving Medifast another go a few weeks ago to see what other inches come off because I’m happy with what the scale says. With the inches lost a few more pounds did come off, though. Now I’m down to 119 and a size 7.  I started at a size 14/16.

I no longer have a craving for sweets, just salty foods from time to time. And when I get weak I use the My Fitness Pal iPhone app to look at the food I was considering. If I discover it is loaded with calories then I just choose something else, or only eat it without the bread, etc. This way I’m still in control of my cravings. I have them, but I choose what I do with them.

You can do this. Stop being afraid. After you’ve read this then decide for yourself.. do you want your life back?

I know I left some things out because I wrote this pretty hastily last night… if I failed to cover something you wanted to know about just let me know!

——————————————————

Update

Current weight: 117-119, current size 2-4 (achieved with good eating habits, exercise, and Hot Pants 

here are some items I seemed to order most:

Item	Type	Quantity	Price Each	Your Total Price**
Dutch Chocolate 55 Shake Item Code: 51710	Box	2	$16.50	$27.12
Brownie with real chocolate chips Item Code: 57500	Box	2	$16.50	$27.12
Chocolate Chip Pancakes Item Code: 57710	Box	2	$16.50	$27.12
Chocolate Crunch Bar Item Code: 64805	Box	3	$16.50	$40.68
Chocolate Mint Crunch Bar Item Code: 64905	Box	2	$16.50	$27.12
S’more Crunch Bar Item Code: 65455	Box	3	$16.50	$40.68
Chocolate Pudding Item Code: 57400	Box	1	$16.50	$13.54

Medifast is a tool, your body is the machine. Was it hard? Sometimes- but it would have been harder had I try to achieve the same results without Medifast.

6 Things Moving Out Of State Taught Me

We got the shocking news that the military was moving us to Oklahoma City in October 2011. It is shocking because moves are rare in David’s job unless you ask..which he did. We were just surprised he got it.

Moving on-

This is just a short-off-the-top-of-my-head list of things that this move has taught me or reminded me of:

1. I love making money! I started working part time at a tech support helpdesk and I love making nearly FT money at PT hours

2. It is doubtful that I’ll ever have a home custom built because if I am this sad over not being in our brand  new home (we are the first owners) then I am sure I’ll be ever more sad moving away from a custom home.

3. We had it so good and wasted so much money on frivolous things so I am happy to live in this less-than 1978 condo so that we can live “more than”..meaning that we can appreciate what we had, what we have now, acknowledge we wasted so much money (to the tune  5 years of my ft income because we used to have very little in savings), and be more mindful of our purchases now and in the future.

4. Whenever you go to move somewhere look at the crime rates in the area, Google street view the street, etc. We live in a lovely, safe area, it’s just that the condos are just a little older than I would normally have chosen.

5. If you have a choice of where you move look at local weather trends. We had NO idea how bad the wind was here and at times it makes riding a motorcycle more of a pain than a pleasure.

6. Use UrbanSpoon when trying out local eateries. I, and other users, tend to leave very helpful and detailed descriptions of our experience there.

Have you ever learned anything from moving? If so, please share your experience here, I’d love to read it!

A Modern Woman’s Guide To Attracting A Mate

Even though I am happily married and the advances are unwanted I get hit on all the time, even when I was overweight (and as a result was less outgoing) and I wanted to share my secrets in hope it will help someone else, or at least give folks a good laugh.

It dawned on me that a lot of women I know are looking for that special  someone in their lives and struggle to find that person. You may wonder why I’m saying person and mate- well, I’m an equal opportunity kind of person and while I’m writing this with a woman and man in mind, I imagine these tips could benefit the lesbian community…but I highly doubt these will work for men. If they do, let me know!

So, without further adieu, here’s how!

And yes, I really did do these things and I really did get hit on while doing them.

The 4 most successful semi-humorous semi-serious tips for attracting a mate:

1. Dress down: (this is the most important tip of all!)

Women looking for love- stop looking like you care about your appearance! I mean, wash your face and take a shower and such, but stop doing your hair, stop wearing makeup, stop looking like you care! EVERY time I get hit on it is when my hair is a curly mess, I have sweats or jeans and a t-shirt on, or am wearing scrubs. I wish I had pictures of how I looked when I got hit on but trust me, it was “What Not to Wear”-ish. I have no explanation of why this attracts attention but it does. Just do it!

2. Attitude is everything

Stop acting like you care about your appearance and/or about getting a mate. Very few people are looking to be in a relationship with someone who physically appears, gives off an vibe of, or IS desperate. Once you stop caring about how you look and stop caring about if you’ll get in a relationship you’ll start noticing a big difference! People are attracted to confidence. Since desperation is the total opposite of confidence you can see why desperate people (even those who just look like it or give off a desperate vibe) are single.

3. Be your natural self and stop looking for/expecting attention:

This goes along with dressing down and wearing no makeup. I get hit on ALL THE TIME when I’m a) not expecting it and b) being myself without even realizing that dude is paying attention to me. Still be aware of your surroundings because that’s just being safe but stop physically (or mentally) eyeing prospective mates from across the room.

4. Smile:

Smile at strangers, smile at service people, smile at mean people- just SMILE! Your happiness comes through to complete strangers when you smile and your dreamboat is looking for someone who is happy, confident, and kind. Besides, we all know smiling is contagious so share your joy with others by smiling.

Embracing these tips will surely help to attract love to your life, be it romantic or platonic.

Will it bright your perfect match? Perhaps- but if nothing else at least you’ll have more possibilities for romance!

What are your tips for attracting love?

 

New City New State New Skills

So, we’re here. We made it to Oklahoma City on October 1 and are getting settled in. Everything’s unpacked and now we’re just getting our bearings.

Everybody is VERY nice and helpful. I’m a bit green with the big city driving but I know that will come with time.

I’ve picked up a couple of new skills, too: I can now fix existing websites made with web design software like Dreamweaver so if you know anybody who had a web designer that bailed on them  let me know because I can do that.

The other set of skills is pending. I got hired on at a big computer company doing a help desk project for a big airplane company so I’ll be doing some PT tech support. I’m just waiting for the start date next month.

In the mean time David and I are exploring our local area together which has been a lot of fun!

David seems to love his job, the kittens love the condo (the stairs are their favorite) but I definitely miss my cute little 5 year old house. This condo is older than we are so-yeah. It fits our needs, though, and the price was right.

Biggest difference between OKC and LR? The WIND! It is SO windy here! I am convinced THIS should be the windy city.  OH, and people are really REALLY into football.

Overall, though, I think we will like it here.

Favorite restaurants so far:

• Jersey Mikes
• Freddy’s
• Pickerman’s Sandwiches
• Mediterranean Grill
• Swadley’s BBQ

Favorite grocery stores:

• Crest- so far our #1 favorite
• Homeland was nice inside but the deals were lack luster.
• GFF in Moore had some good deals but it’s busy, the produce was so-so-, and it’s pretty out of the way for us.

Change is hard…but sometimes a change is what we needed…

Have you ever been through a big move, or one that FELT big?  Or do you know of a place in OKC that we need to check out? Let me know!

 

Rediscovering why I joined MLM in the first place

Today I had a really interesting conversation with a friend about network marketing during lunch that made me reflect on MLM in general.

It made me realize why I joined network marketing in the first place- it was to help PEOPLE. The thing that appealed to me was the fact I could impact so many people’s lives in a positive way just by being a leader and helping them reach their own goals.

“But what about the money?” Yeah. What about it? The money will come if you do right by other people. If you treat other people well and help however you can then the income will grow.

Network marking should be less about the company, the top earners, the products, the comp plan, the rah-rah meetings, or the promotions and more about helping people and learning life lessons!

With the epic crash and burn of a company I promoted heavily in 2009 I became a little jaded and had forgotten my real why. My why is about myself and my family, sure, only that is just a result of my REAL primary why- to help PEOPLE reach their goals and find the leader inside themselves.

So. Am I done with network marketing?

At this exact second I honestly am unable to answer that. If all the elements are right then I might choose to promote another company in the future. However, I’m too busy with our out-of-state military move to even give starting a new MLM a second thought.  Maybe after we get settled in to our new lives…

Have you ever become jaded about something, only to rediscover what you loved about it in the first place?

 

Updates from my neck of the woods

Today I want to update my readers on what’s been going on in my life. I have been in and out of pocket for the past few weeks so I thought it would be a good time to do general briefing.

First and foremost I am in an ankle brace and am expecting to have surgery later this summer. No fun, but just one of those things.

I am also starting to build websites for small businesses in my area so that has been really exciting and interesting for me. Turns out all those blogs I’ve set up and maintained for free over the years (and we are talking several- like a dozen) helped me get fast at turning out a website for a client. Everything happens for a reason and I’m thankful for the opportunity to earn even more extra money from doing something I enjoy from my home!

Weight loss: after the loss of my dear friend in 2007 I started packing on the pounds. My husband and I are doing medifast together and have lost weight and inches. I am only 6 pounds from my weight loss goal which will put me about 10 pounds more than my highschool and college weight.

David might get orders for Oklahoma City or somewhere in New Mexico. We should find out in a few weeks. That’s a whole other can of worms.. gotta sell the house, etc. etc. if that happens!

So, as you can see- lots of changes going on in the Schnabel universe.

I am currently working 2 businesses aside from my personal website design business. I promote Ampegy and Nexcel. Nexcel is in pre-launch so I’ll know more about that after the June 20th launch.

Both opportunities are helping both the customer and rep base which is awesome! I am all for anything I can do to lower people’s bills and/or put more money in their pocket for every day expenses!

I hope ya’ll have a wonderful Sunday and are successful in whatever you do! Remember- keep it simple and keep it fun. People love referrals and sharing of information- they hate to be sold to!