Archives

Have you been flossing?

Dec16

I have been thinking about dental health today since I had a dentist visit yesterday afternoon. In the past I have hung my head in shame when the dental hygienist asked if I was flossing regularly. Ummmm. I could lie but you know my gums tell the real story. So I fess up and admit it. I brush my teeth vigorously, use mouthwash, but it seems that flossing has always been one of those activities that was hit or miss for me.

That was before GUM Eez-Thru (Easy on the go flossing).

These little floss picks are easy to carry in my purse and I can floss with one hand. I like this brand because the floss pick is made of “special floss that resists shredding”. You may not think that is a big deal, but I have used other floss picks and ended up with more thread between my teeth than when I started. 

Have you ever had a piece of popcorn kernel between your teeth and gums? Having bits of floss between your teeth feels like that but more annoying.  So for all you people out there that know you need to floss but don’t want it to be a chore, choose GUM Eez-Thru . Save yourself from plaque and gingivitis. 

Now when I go to the dentist, my hygienist knows that I floss <insert bright smile here>

 

Tree Hut Shea Body Butter, Hawaiian Kukui, 7-Ounce Jars

Dec13

I love lotion because it makes my skin feel so soft and smooth. I like to try different lotions, creams, body butters because I am always looking for the perfect product. I look for ingredients like shea butter, cocoa butter, vitamin E, jojoba oil.  I was intrigued by Tree Hut Shea Body Butter because it contained Hawaiian Kukui. Exotic ingredients usually means that the product will have more moisturizing properties.

When I opened the container, I was surprised that the body butter was not thicker. It looked like real butter that had been left out on the counter on a warm day. There was a sheen to it. It was not quite liquid but not a solid either. I already did not have high hopes for its ability to live up to its claims. But when I scooped a little out of the container and rubbed on my legs, it was apparent to me that this body butter is very effective. My skin felt like velvet.

Overall, this body butter is superb. It covers and moisturizes the skin without being greasy.

Dance Central 2 – Xbox with Kinect

Dec8

Dance Central 2 is  dancing game that is a lot of fun but be sure to have plenty of room so that you can move around.

When I bought it, I was confident that I would have high scores because I have plenty of rhythm. I know Spanish dances (bachata, salsa, cumbia, merengue) by basically learning the steps. If I can do that, I should be able to do this game. Right? I did not realize that most of the dance moves were like the choreography that is on music videos. Plus, my overconfidence did not prepare me for the fact that I would not get full credit for the dance moves if the whole body is not EXACTLY like the dance on screen. The graphics are so good so that you can really see the body positions for the different moves.

Of the different dance settings to choose, I like the exercise workout setting called “Fitness”. There are various fitness playlists that play different upbeat songs to get the heart racing. It tracks the amount of time spent playing and even counts calories burned. I don’t use the calorie counter because it seems to underestimate calories. I have unlocked different options on the game by getting high scores and playing times.

My favorite dance is Lil T.

My favorite song is Satellite by Lena (it has a high difficulty rating probably because of the Catwalk move-not as easy as it sounds).

I like that there is a wide variety of song. There is hip hop, dance, techno, R&B, old school, slow and fast beats. Here is a list of some of the songs and the artists that I have danced in the last month that I have had this game.

  • “Baby Got Back (Mix Mix)” Sir Mix-a-Lot
  • “Bad Romance” Lady Gaga
  • “Born This Way” Lady Gaga
  • “Body to Body” Electric Valentine
  • “Bulletproof” La Roux
  • “Club Can’t Handle Me” Flo Rida ft. David Guetta
  • “Conceited (There’s Something About Remy)” Remy Ma
  • “DJ Got Us Fallin’ in Love” Usher ft. Pitbull
  • “Fire Burning” Sean Kingston
  • “Get Ur Freak On” Missy Elliot
  • “Grenade” Bruno Mars
  • “I Like It” Enrique Iglesias ft. Pitbull 2010s 3 Riptide Emilia
  • “I Wish for You” EXILE
  • “Impacto (Remix)” Daddy Yankee ft. Fergie
  • “Last Night” Diddy ft. Keyshia Cole
  • “Like a G6” Far East Movement ft. Cataracs and Dev
  • “Mai Ai Hee (Dragostea Din Tei)” O-Zone
  • “Massive Attack” Nicki Minaj ft. Sean Garrett
  • “Meddle” Little Boots
  • “My Prerogative” Bobby Brown
  • “Nothin’ on You” B.o.B ft. Bruno Mars
  • “Oops (Oh My)” Tweet ft. Missy Elliot 2000s 3 The Glitterati Jaryn
  • “Real Love” Mary J. Blige
  • “Rude Boy” Rihanna
  • “Run (I’m a Natural Disaster)” Gnarls Barkley
  • “Sandstorm” Darude
  • “Satellite” Lena
  • “Sexy Chick” David Guetta ft. Akon
  • “Somebody to Love” Justin Bieber
  • “Technologic” Daft Punk
  • “The Breaks” Kurtis Blow
  • “The Humpty Dance” Digital Underground
  • “This Is How We Do It” Montell Jordan
  • “Toxic” Britney Spears
  • “Turn Me On” Kevin Lyttle
  • “Venus” Bananarama
  • “Whip My Hair” Willow Smith
  • “You’re a Jerk” New Boyz

Overall, I really like this game. This is the  first dancing game that I bought, but I have found that the graphics are better than some of the other dancing games on the market. To some, the song selection may get old after a while, but there is the option to download more songs using XBox Live. I do not mind because I think the songs  have nice beats that get me moving. I am glad that I found something that can help to keep me active, burning calories on a regular basis, and there are enough songs and difficulty levels so that I won’t be bored any time soon.

Brief Interviews with Hideous Men

Nov17

Labeled by Netflix as a Romantic Independent Comedy – 2 out of 3 wrong = not romantic and not a comedy

The premise is that a professor working on her doctorate is interviewing men with different personalities as part of her research. The movie seems to go nowhere. Men talk about their fantasies, women, sex, etc. While she is performing the interviews, she is also dealing with the demise of her own relationship (her ex cheated on her) and that does not contribute to her being Miss Sociable. The movie is very quiet with little background noise when the actors are talking or thinking. So there are seemingly long moments of silence throughout the film.

And then there was a weird part where a guy is explaining his research paper about the bright side of a brutal gang rape. Although they tried to incorporate it into the plot, it was so random that it seemed to be incongruous.

If you like weird, independent movies that think they are funny by their directors, then this movie is for you. Maybe you will understand the meaning of the film.

For everyone else, pick a different movie and not waste your time. Life is too important to lose an hour and half on something like this.

AcneFree 1 Hour Pimple Patches

Oct27

AcneFree 1 Hour Pimple Patches (4 patches + 1 activator)

I am not one to normally buy these type of patches. I am not a teenage that gets pimples all the time. I am in my 30’s and have fairly clear skin. Every now and then, I will get a pimple and need to address it. When that happens, I usually go for natural remedies.

All that changed, when I had a rather large blemish on the side of my nose that I wanted to disappear. It was extremely red as if the pimple was beneath the skin. I tried all my usually methods: honey, toothpaste, rubbing alcohol. None worked. As a last resort, I went to CVS to see what was available. This seemed like the best option for me because it took the shortest amount of time.

I read the directions and applied the pimple patch as explained. I waited an hour and removed the patch. To my surprise, the pimple was visibly smaller. I thought I might need to use another patch the next day, but the pimple seemed to dry up and there was a scab there the next day. I peeled that off and voila! No more pimple.

This product really works! I do not know if I would recommend using it very frequently or on small blemishes, but for big, painful pimples, it is good to remove them.