Friday, December 30, 2011

Review: Simple Kind to Skin Cleansing Wipes

Winter is so hard on my skin; it gets so dry and flaky.  It does not help that I have a terrible habit of going to bed with make up on.  So, since winter started, I have been making an extra effort to wash all my make up off and put on moisturizer before going to bed.  Sometimes, I have trouble getting off the eye makeup, which is why I was so excited to try the Simple Kind to Skin wipes.

The first thing I noticed about the wipes when I opened the package was that there was no heavy perfumed smell.  I have really sensitive skin, and allergies to some dyes, so the fact that these cleansing wipes appeared to have little to no fragrance was good news for me.  I also immediately noticed how soft the wipes were, and they were thick.  I guess I expected them to be thin, but these were quite sturdy.  

I could immediately see, upon use, that the wipe was doing a great job of removing my make up.  The package indicated it would remove waterproof eye make up, and it certainly did.  It took a few swipes over my eyelids, concentrating on the lashes, to fully remove the eyeliner and mascara, but when I was done, there was no trace of make up left on my face.  My skin felt really clean, without feeling dry or tight the way some cleansers can leave your skin.

I liked the packaging, it was compact and resealable.  It seemed like it was quite convenient for traveling.  All in all, I give these a big thumb up.

I received this product to review courtesy of the Amazon Vine program.

Thursday, December 29, 2011

She totally "gets" it

For Christmas, my niece Abbie got a cell phone.  She and I have been carrying on text conversations every day since she got the phone.  She is really good about asking if I am busy or if it is a bad time to talk, so I always try to take time to talk to her.  Last night she was a little disappointed that a project she was working on did not turn out, and I was trying to cheer her up.  Here was what she said in reply:


This is the part where I tell you she is 11 years old.  At 11, she "gets" it better than a lot of adults I know.  I am so proud of this girl!  

Over Christmas, my brother and Hubby and I all remarked how much she is maturing, and you can see glimpses of the young lady she is becoming.  It makes me so proud to see what a beautiful girl she is, inside and out.  My sister and brother in law have done such a great job raising their kids.  

We always joke that Abbie is so much like me, and I tell everyone I have taught her well.  But this just goes to show, there are things that Abbie can teach us all.

Sorry for my absence!

My dear blog friends, I know it has been quite a while since I have posted anything.  I am so sorry, but I have been so busy.  Besides preparing for Christmas, and spending quality time with Hubby, I have been wrapped up in a project.

At the beginning of 2011 I set a goal for myself over on my book blog.  I vowed to read and review 200 books in 2011.  This seemed easy, until I started working again over the summer, and time just got away from me.  But, I am happy to report that I did in fact meet my goal, and in celebration, I am hosting a giveaway over on my book blog.



The giveaway is open to everyone, and it is super easy to enter!  I really hope you pop on over to the giveaway post and enter, to help me celebrate this accomplishment.

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday, and I promise you will hear more about our holiday soon!

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Tiffany Trivia: When I am Bored

Sometimes, people do odd things when they are bored or their hands are idle.  Some people fidget, some people bite their nails, some people crack their knuckles.  Well, I braid.  Specifically, I braid my hair.

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I taught myself to braid hair when I was little; I had one of those Cabbage Patch kids with silky hair, and I just kept trying and trying until I got it right.  I was always a lot better at braiding my own hair than braiding someone else's.  It came in handy during junior high, when I was a cheerleader and french braids were the preferred hairstyle.

I rarely, and by rarely I mean never, wear my hair in a french braid in public.  But at home it is not uncommon for me to start braiding my hair and not really realize it.  Often I do it while watching t.v. or reading, as if my hands need to find a way to stay busy.  Hubby will walk in the room and say, "are you braiding your hair?" then shake his head.  I think he fears I will soon be suggesting we get a sisterwife or something.


Monday, December 12, 2011

Meet Betty Draper

Well, it finally happened.  I joined the masses of iPhone users late last week.
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Note: this picture was taken with Hubby's Android.
 Because I could not use my iPhone to take a picture of my iPhone.

 In keeping with our household traditions of naming inanimate objects, I have finally settled on a name for her:  Betty.  As in Betty Draper.
Pretty amazing namesake.


I never really planned on becoming an iPhone user, I was perfectly content with my Android.  Then, after the Bathtub Tragedy of 2011 (never forget...) I started having an unusual issue.  Whenever any iPhone user would send a mass text message (which accounts for about 75% of the texts I get from my friends) it would come through blank for me.  It got really old asking the people to resend the texts just to my stupid phone.  It reminded me of way back when people first started texting, and you had to make sure your phones were compatible.

One day, my friends Erin and Jen were texting between the 3 of us trying to coordinate a time to meet up.  And since they both have  iPhones, every single message was blank.  It was highly inconvenient.  I decided to start phone shopping, and found another Android I really liked, but there was no guarantee it would fix the text issue.

After much debate and discussion with my anti-Apple Hubby, we came to a consensus that I would give the iPhone a try.  And guess what..... I love it.  It takes some getting used to, and some things do not function as well as my Android, but, well....

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it takes pictures that turn out like this.  So, yeah, I am pretty much sold.

Saturday, December 10, 2011

Cartoons by Hubby: My Strange Addiction

My Strange Addiction

The Backstory:  There is a weird t.v. show called My Strange Addiction, about people who are addicted to doing strange things, and often more specifically, eating weird things.  Like chalk, cleaning fluid, or couch cushions.  In the one season, a woman is eating her husband's cremains.  Sort of makes the idea of eating yellow pellets, bouncing cherries, and neon blue ghosts seem normal, right?

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

In the Big City: The Nutcracker

Every year, I always dream about going to see the Nutcracker, but every year before I know it, the performances are over, and once again I have not gotten to go.  Until this year, that is.  Several weeks ago, we purchased tickets for Hubby and I to attend a performance.  Front row center orchestra tickets to be exact.  I was so excited I could burst.  Finally, last weekend, we got to attend.

I was so excited for us to spend a special night celebrating the coming holiday.  We got all dressed up, and headed down to Pittsburgh.  As an extra bonus, the city has made weekend parking free during the holiday season.  I loved walking in to the theater and seeing all the families there with their children.  So many adorable little girls in velvet dresses!  I love that so many families make this a holiday tradition.



We got to our seats with a few minutes before the performance would begin, which allowed me to really take in the beauty of the opening scene's backdrop, already on the stage.  The art director decided to have this year's production set in Pittsburgh, so the backdrop was of one of the gorgeous Victorian mansions that once graced the city.  Suddenly, the lights were dimming, and it was time for the show.


I could go on and on about the glorious scenery.  I could tell you about the tremendous skills of all the dancers.  I could tell you about the awe we both felt at attending our first ballet together.  I could go on and on, but instead I will simply say it was magical.  So much magic, literal and figurative, filled the stage.  We had such a wonderful time, and Hubby and I spent the intermission, and the time at our post theater dinner, talking about the performance.  It was just simply so wonderful, and well worth the wait of all these years.



I think the thing that made it most special, and incredibly romantic, was that Hubby attended it with me.  While ballet is probably not his first choice of cultural activity, he gladly took me to the show.  Because that is the kind of man he is.  He, like this performance, was also well worth the wait of all these years.

Friday, December 2, 2011

It Made my Day: Happy Feet

This morning, I woke up full of joy.  I have met a small goal that I set for myself several weeks ahead of schedule.  I am getting into the holiday spirit.  I have gotten to spend time with some great friends over the past few weeks, not to mention my family.  I have a job that I absolutely love, and work with incredibly caring people.  I have a husband who is more amazing that words can even allow, two adorable dogs, a cat that lovingly drives me bonkers, and as if all this were not enough, today is Friday!  Hubby is not a morning person, yet this morning, when he woke up, we had a tickle fest and it allowed me to see him start his day with a giant smile.  Today, I am full of joy, and I wanted everyone to know it.

As I dressed for work, I realized my outfit was very plain.  Grey dress, black tights, black cardigan.  Cute, and comfortable, but plain.  I needed people to see my joy.  I found the perfect solution.


Now everyone can see my joy, thanks to my happy feet. It totally made my day!