Pinterest Pore Mask Review

Several months ago I pinned this diy pore mask to my Pinterest and decided to give it a try on this 40 degree spring day.

The only 2 ingredients are 1 1/2 TSB milk and 1 TSB unflavored gelatin. Mix, heat for 10 seconds and start applying.

Here are some important things I wish the blogger had mentioned:

1. It smells pretty terrible. It’s heated milk with gelatin for crying out loud. I had no idea it was going to be so strong

2. There is no way you need to wait 15 minutes. My husband did it and waited 4 minutes before he started peeling. I tried to follow directions and waited the full 15 minutes.  He said some of the peeling hurt at only 4 minutes so I thought maybe I could handle it because I have a decent pain tolerance.

It. Was. So. Painful. Little stray hairs got stuck in the mask and I only noticed once I started peeling. Luckily it comes off with a good washcloth but take my advice. Wait 2-3 minutes instead. I wish I had!

Now for the results- the fun part.

Both of us have amazingly smooth skin. Now, as far as pore cleaning… I’m underwhelmed. If I had paid for expensive pore strips I would have been pretty bummed out.

I have no zits usually, but after this mask I had 1 with a white head immediately pop up to the surface. At least that suction-like effect worked though I’d rather have skipped the new zit part.

To me, my pores still look dirty. Maybe they’re cleaner, maybe they’re the same but they certainly seem to still have some dirt in them.

Overall- an inexpensive, slightly smelly, and temporarily painful way to spend 15 minutes on a cold, dreary Saturday. There’s a silver lining though- our skin IS super smooth now.

Have you had any Pinterest successes or failures?

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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?

The Shakeweight Gets Tested

Wow. This product is one that REALLY surprised me. I thought it would be a total flop but opted to spend the $20 at walgreens just to try it.

• First and foremost you need to know that the shakeweight is not motorized.

While now I KNOW a motorized weight would do nothing to make a person stronger it DOES look like it is motorized on the commercials because the operators are so good at using it.

• So, right out of the box my expectations had to be changed.

Well, to give you a general idea of my body type I’m totally not athletic and am pretty soft around the edges.

• I’ve used it for 6 minutes a day but only about every other day (or even less frequently) and I already notice tone biceps starting to form!

• Just remember to hold the shakeweight correctly (watch the DVD that comes in the box) and move the weight as fast as you can.

All in all- it is worth it if you do it…like most things in life!

Have you used the shakeweight? Share your experiences here!

 

Green Bags Keep It Fresh

The Debbie Meyer Green Bags were a toss  up for me- I really expected them not to work at ALL. They were a gift and, in fact, I didn’t use them for a really long time because I was convinced they wouldn’t work.

I got bored one day and put some of our fresh veggies in one of them and left the other vegetables in the fridge bin like usual.

The green bagged vegetables WAY outlasted the non-bagged ones. Granted, I wasn’t intending to do this blog when I did this experiment a year ago so I have no idea the actual amount of days they outlasted but I know it was more than 3 days that the green bagged veggies were good past the non-bagged ones.

Pretty amazing, huh? Especially for about $10 at your local grocery or home store!

• Keep fruits and vegetables fresher longer in Green Bags
• Able to be re-used up to 10 times, the Green Bags help save money and reduce waste
• Designed to keep certain produce fresh for approximately 30 days
• Helps reduce vitamin loss by up to 50 percent
• Included in the package are 10 large and 10 medium bags

 

The Sham Wow Review

When I first saw this product on tv I thought it was really dumb.

However, one of our cats is notorious for tipping cups over and spilling its contents all over the floor so the first time it happened after we had the sham wow (the real As Seen On TV product) my husband and I were absolutely amazed.

It got up every drop of water and all we did was wring out the sham wow ONCE.

IMPORTANT: You have to get the sham wow totally wet first, wring it out so it’s damp, then go over to the spot and either punch down on it or step on it a few times and it draws the liquid right out!

You can get them at Walgreens and lots of other places online for about $30 depending on how many you buy.

• As Seen On TV. Holds 21 times its weight in liquid. Machine washable and bleachable
• Cleans up spills fast
• Lasts for years

What was your experience with the sham-wow? Let me know by leaving a comment!

 

The Shark Steam Mop Vs. The Smart Mop

Mopping the floor is a PAIN- always has been, always will be, but for germ-a-phobes like me it’s a little more difficult because I want to be sure that my floor is as clean as possible.

I have textured tile (you know, the kind with the slight bumps and ridges along each tile’s surface) so my first thought was to get the Shark Steam Mop.

You’ve all seen one- they have them at Target, Walmart, and even in the Sky Mall catalogs. They’re about $70-$80 (based on a quick Google shopping search)

Product specs from their website:

Make dirty floors a thing of the past. With triple-layer, steam-activated micro-fiber pads, the Shark® Steam Mop loosens, lifts, and locks in dirt. What’s more, its super-heated steam sanitizes floors, killing harmful germs and E. coli. And the Steam Mop does it all without the use of harmful chemicals – making it an ideal choice around pets and children. Think your current mop can do that?

With the Shark® Steam Mop, you’ll enjoy:

• On-demand steam – natural mopping motion delivers super-heated steam in just 30 seconds, and dries almost immediately
• 99.9% sanitization against germs and bacteria
• 2 washable micro-fiber pads lift and lock in dirt – no more messy mops and heavy buckets
• A soft-grip handle and comfortable design that make it easy to maneuver without physical strain
• A quick-release cord – easily store and release the 20-foot power cord
• Safe cleaning on hard-floor surfaces – especially hardwood floors

Included Accessories:

• 2 Micro-Fiber Pads
• Filling Flask & Funnel

I used it for a while but I HATED IT. The INSTANT I was done steam mopping (with a clean pad of course) I got on the floor and did my “paper towel test”- STILL DIRTY. UGH!

Then I saw the technology behind the Sham Wow’s. That will be a separate post so I won’t give it away but you’re smart so I’m sure you’ll figure out my verdict on it.

So I though, well, I’ll try the Smart Mop. $14.99 at Walgreens.

The mop with a twist!

This is the same mop you’ve seen on national TV; the same mop that miraculously makes spills disappear in seconds! That’s right! The mop quickly cleans up all kinds of spills, even sand and dirt, and still rinses clean in seconds. Features a heavy duty 3-piece pole construction, holds up to 10 times its weight in liquid and its easy wring action means no backbreaking bending over and no more wet hands. Plus, the unique cleaning fabric is super absorbent on all surfaces so cleaning time is cut dramatically. Throw away those ordinary sponges and rag mops that can shred, streak and scratch because the amazing Smart Mop makes everyday mopping obsolete!

• Sturdy self wringer
• Non-rust aluminum pole
• Easy store handle
• Huge 17″ super absorbent cleaning head
• Replaceable mop head
• 3 Smart Cloths included

You guys. IT IS AMAZING. No joke, this mop cleaned my textured tile floors and they passed my paper towel/white glove test. It is easy to use. It really does NOT drip, and it’s reusable. I have virtually no upper body strength but it really works without tough scrubbing, etc.

The Smart Mop wins HANDS DOWN. Save your money. Save yourself frustration. Buy a Smart Mop!

What do you guys think?