Bio Oil

I have extremely dry skin especially in the winter.  I've tried many body lotions.  They work for a while but don't last very long.  I need something to keep my skin hydrated all day.  I originally bought Bio Oil for the scars on my legs left from me scratching my dry skin. Bio Oil according to the package can be used scars, stretch marks, uneven skin tone, aging and dehydrated skin. It contains Vitamins A & E, Calendula, Lavender, Rosemary and Chamomile Oils.

So I started using the Bio Oil mainly for the scars, but I decided to use it in place of my body lotion for my dehydrated skin. My skin drank it in immediately.  It's not greasy and has a nice light scent. I was pleasantly surprised by that.

The first time using it I noticed that I didn't have to reapply it later in the day.  It kept my skin hydrated, smooth and soft. I've using it on a regular basis for five weeks and my skin doesn't get dry or crack anymore.  The scars have faded.  I will continue to use Bio Oil.  I've actually bought another from Well.ca before I've finished the first one. Great product!  I highly recommend it.

The winner of the Jari Love Get Extremely Ripped 1000 Hardcore DVD is.....

Nivea Visage Aqua Sensation Eye Cream

As I have gotten older I have noticed the bags and the skin darkening under my eyes.  I decided to try the Nivea Visage Aqua Sensation Anti-Shadow Eye Cream.  From the box: Nivea Visage Aqua Sensation Eye Cream enriched with Magnesium, Ginseng and Cucumber Extracts, invigorates the eye area with the cooling sensation of moisture.

This cream delivered on it's promises.  The area under my eye is firmer, no puffiness and the skin tone is lighter. The cream keeps my eye area hydrated all day long.  The cream itself soothes my eye area with the cooling sensation and blends in quickly.  It's not greasy or heavy at all. It comes in a tiny jar, but I've been using it for four weeks and still well over a 1/2 of the jar still left. Love this eye cream and will continue to use it. Check out Niveausa.com!

Some tasty mango ice cream

Guest post written by Millicent Patrick

Most of the time when it comes to ice cream, I like to go with the classic vanilla and then load up on sprinkles, chocolate syrup and a few other toppings. But I just got an ice cream maker on sale and I've been feeling a little more adventurous about ice cream. Meaning, I'm trying out all kinds of ice cream recipes with my ice cream maker.

At first I started out making some regular old ice cream flavors. Then I started getting more daring with what flavors I wanted to make. When I was on an ice cream recipe online expedition, I saw some info on debt consolidation and decided to click here to get some help with it.

I found a recipe for mango ice cream and I couldn't resist trying it out for myself! I have to say, it was even better than I expected and I think that I'm going to have to stash this recipe so that I can make it again in the dead of summer when it's really hot.

Garnier Moisture Rescue Refreshing Gel-Cream

I have been using Garnier skincare and haircare products for several years now.  So, I was happy to see this new cream.  I bought this cream myself from Well.ca and tried it out for 3 weeks.

From the box: Moisture Rescue Refreshing Gel-Cream is enriched with revitalizing Grape Water Extract, this oil-free formula helps to maintain skin's moisture barrier and protects skin from external aggressors like the drying effects of the sun and wind. It's oil-free, non-comedogenic, allergy tested, gentle to skin and non-greasy.

Well, I love the scent and the cream is very refreshing and just melts into the skin.  Not greasy at all and it made my skin feel soft. I like that it has Grape Water Extract which has antioxidants to protect dry skin from harsh environments and vitamin E to soothe and condition the skin. the only problem was it didn't keep my skin moist all day.  I found myself reapplying the cream by midday. So, I will use this cream along with my favorite Garnier Nutritioniste Skin Renew Regenerating Moisture Cream because I like the ingredients and it did make my skin feel good.  Just didn't keep it hydrated all day.

Jari Love: Get Extremely Ripped 1000 Hardcore

I'm a big fan of Jari Love's workouts especially her Get Extremely Ripped 1000 .  I like the combo of the cardio and strength training.  I'm a cardio girl.  I could do cardio all day long, but I realize the importance of strength training for women especially the older I get.  What I like most about Jari's workouts is that she uses science to determine what exercises to do and in what order.  It called Get Ripped 1000 because supposedly you can burn at least 1000 calories doing the workout.  I used My Fitness Pal to determine calories burned. For the 68 minutes I worked out I burned 674.

That being said I really liked this workout.  It's like the other Get Ripped 1000 workouts in that you do strength training for about 3 minutes and then you do cardio for about 5 minutes. Each cardio and strength track is broken down into sets.  The cardio is usually 4-6 sets and the strength is 3-4 sets. I used 8 pound dumbbells with this workout.  I had been using mostly 10 pound dumbbells this week, but since this was a new workout I wanted to be safe and use the eights. I surprised myself because I was able to use the eight pound dumbbells during the tricep kickbacks.  A couple of months ago I was using only three pounds.

I was able to keep up most of the time with the eight pound dumbbells, but on the Leg and Shoulders track I could have gone down to five for the lateral raises. The music in the workout DVDs is something I usually don't pay any attention to, but Jari always has uplifting music to keep you motivated.  In the Straddle Run track I believe I heard 'Can You Feel It' by The Jacksons. During the Burpee track Country music was playing.  That Burpee track was murder.  I actually had to stop the DVD and rest.  Burpees are not my friend.  I was already sweating a lot and after that Burpee track I was drenched.

There was a lot of sweat going on.  Even during the Abs tracks (there are two of them because I did the entire workout) sweat was getting into my eyes.  The last Abs track was lead by Laurie who has been with Jari since the beginning.  She did a great job leading us through that track.

The DVD includes:
Introduction
Complete workout (what I did) 73:51
Workout 1 30:00
Workout 2 30:00
Cardio Workout 48:06
Weights Workout 42:51

I'm curious to see how if at all the Cardio and Weights Workout are different from the Complete Workout when done separately. Jari does use a step bench in this workout like in previous DVDs, but she does offer a modifier and all the exercises can be done without the step.

I will be doing this workout again and again.  Jari was so nice to send me an extra copy to giveaway.  One lucky person will win a copy of Get Extremely Ripped 1000 Hardcore. I will make this giveaway very simple. You can enter using the widget below. The giveaway ends April 30, 2012 at 12:01am EST. The winner will be chosen by Rafflecopter.  The winner must claim their prize within 48 hours. Please allow 2-4 weeks to receive your prize.  It's open to persons living in the US and Canada.  Good luck!

Jillian Michaels Whey Protein

As you all know I'm a big fan of Jillian Michaels.  For the past 2 weeks she's been kicking my arse during my 30 Day No Repeat challenge.  I was on the Well.ca website ordering some things and I saw that they had whey protein powder by Jillian Michaels.  I didn't know she even had a whey powder.  So, I decided to order a can.

I was so excited when I got it.  I ordered the Vanilla Cream Shake flavor because vanilla is easier to mix with a variety of things. She has a chocolate flavor too. I found the taste to be okay.  I could taste the vanilla flavor.  It was not an overpowering flavor.  It didn't taste like a shake, but it didn't taste bad to me either.  The powder mixed well into my foods.  I bought the can about 3 weeks ago and I used the last of it today.

My favorite ways to use the powder was to mix it with strawberries, a banana, a cup of coconut milk, water and some ice cubes.  Also I like to add some to my oatmeal with some fruit and ground flax seeds.Each scoop has 100 calories and 15g of protein.  No artificial sweeteners, preservatives, flavors or colors.

Socialpunk

Ima would give anything to escape The Dome and learn what’s beyond its barriers, but the Chicago government has kept all its citizens on lockdown ever since the Scorched Years left most of the world a desert wasteland. When a mysterious group of hooded figures enters the city unexpectedly, Ima uncovers a plot to destroy The Dome and is given the choice between escaping to a new, dangerous city or staying behind and fighting a battle she can never win.

I received a copy of Socialpunk from the author to read and review.  This is my honest review. I enjoyed reading Socialpunk. The characters are well developed.  Monica Leonelle paints the events and characters so vividly it's almost like you're watching a movie in your mind.  There is a nice balance between the good and bad characters.  In this story much like in real life you feel you know someone, but there are many layers to peel back before you discover who they really are.

Being from Chicago I really liked that she uses my hometown as the setting for the story. She mentions L train stops and landmarks that I'm very familiar with.  My heart raced and I was on the edge of my seat for most of the book. I barely had time to catch my breath before something else happened. At the end she left me wanting more!

Socialpunk is great for those looking for a unique, fast-paced, heart racing thrill ride. Socialpunk is the first book in a trilogy and I can't wait to read the others. The book is available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Click the link below to enter the contest. You could win an iPad and more!

A RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY   Monica Leonelle is a well-known digital media strategist and the author of three novels. She blogs at Prose on Fire (http://proseonfire.com) and shares her writing and social media knowledge with other bloggers and authors through her Free Writer Toolkit (http://proseonfire.com/free-writer-toolkit). If you are a blogger and would like to participate in the Socialpunk Blog Tour here's the participant sign-up form.You can follow Monica on Twitter @monicaleonelle !

  

Unicoi Art Studio

Fish in the Ocean

It's that time of year when parents start looking for summer activities and camp for the kids.  I'm in the midst of doing this right now.  We plan to spend a lot of time in Chicago this year. One year I put my son in Chicago Park District camp, but it ended the first week of August so we still had 3-4 weeks of summer vacation left. I like to keep my kids busy and active when they aren't in school.

Chicago Skyline

 That year we found Unicoi Art Studio and they were able to take him a couple of days a week.  It's located in the Roscoe Village area of Chicago.  They have been providing art activities for kids since 1999. Unicoi has art classes daily, camps during the school year, winter and summer. I found the teachers there to be friendly, patient and caring.  I felt comfortable leaving my son with them.  My son loved going there.  Not only would I put him there during the summer, but he would go during the school year and take a class once a week.  The classes are affordable.  I couldn't believe how much my son grew as an artist.   I was amazed at what he was capable of doing.  So, if you are looking for activities for your kids this summer check out Unicoi Art Studio.  Unicoi's summer camp is from June 11-August 31st. You can Like Unicoi on Facebook.  They were also on WGN Morning News.  My son is the one with the curly hair standing next to Ana;-)  The art work you see in this post is his.  He has many more wonderful works of art he did at Unicoi too!