Mike's Recommendation aka Conquering Cold Sores

So unfortunately I haven't found a lot of time to craft and write an expansive recommendation, so I'll make this one short and simple. This suggestion has made my life much easier. So here goes!

So how many of you have suffered from cold sores? Those painful, itchy eyesores that appear on your lips during the dry or stressful season of life. What could be worse than having herpes on your face? Nothing. So companies have gone out and created products to try and alleviate these painful symptoms.  Unfortunately, any and all remedies are very pricey (Abreva) and don't work nearly as well as you would like them to (Abreva). And no, I don't have an Abreva grudge, I just hate cold sores too much to have the patience for Abreva. So here is my solution. It is cheap and it is effective, the one-two punch for effective remedies. And this cold sore remedy is none other than Vaseline!

Now, you may ask, how on earth can petroleum jelly help my herpes of the face? To be quite honest, I'm not exactly sure how it works. But, from experience, I know it does. First off, it virtually stops all itching. If Vaseline is applied frequently and generously, my cold sores never itch. And they never hurt. Second off, it significantly shortens the healing process and decreases the size of the cold sores. In this area, it is much more effective than Abreva. It is cheaper than Abreva, it doesn't leave a gross white paste on your face, and it works incredibly well.

So what's the trick? Just put it on. As soon as you feel a cold sore coming on (and all of us who get them know exactly what that feeling is) cover it with Vaseline. And do it generously and consistently. If you do, your cold sores won't itch, they won't get as big, they'll heal faster, and your significant other will want to kiss you even more.

Enough said. Vaseline works wonders with cold sores. As these sores are the bain of my existence, and I'm sure the bain of many others' as well, I hope you try Vaseline and enjoy the gentle relief that petroleum jelly can bring to your face herpes!

Spotify

My brother-in-law asked me the other day, “What do you do to relax? What do you do to find a release?”  It was at that moment that I realized that, with the limited time I have nowadays, I have turned my attention from more time-consuming activities and have turned deeper into my love for music.

Seriously, music is basicly all I do right now.  From the moment I wake up, to the stretching hours at work, to just before bed, I have something playing on my phone or on my computer.  So, I am going to share with you my tool for consumption: Spotify.  

I have already shared with Brian and Mike, and I know a lot of you are Grooveshark users.  But I promise, if you invest just a little time in Spotify, you will love it.  Here are my reasons, including some drawbacks I have found (there are a lot of them, so if you don’t have the time, just know that I love Spotify):

Seamless Music

One thing that always bothered me about Grooveshark was that I would search for a song and I would get multiple hits for the same song, half of which were not at all what I was looking for.  I would also get multiple albums that were incomplete.  I would have to mix-and-match multiple sources to find all the songs I wanted. And songs seemed to fuzz out pretty often.

Spotify, while having a more limited selection than Grooveshark, makes sure that all the songs that are on an album are there where they are supposed to be.  I also know that I can click on an artist and find a more complete collection of that artists work.  It has been a great tool for me to discover lots of different types of music.

Easily organized playlists

This is the best reason to use Spotify.  It is so intuitive to create a playlist and start dragging music into it.  I can easily rename playlists and shuffle them around to make exactly the grouping I want.  Playlists sit right in my sidebar so that I can easily navigate.  Plus, if I am listening to Spotify radio on my mobile device, all I have to do is tap a button and I can add the song to my playlists instantly.  I found that Pandora made it difficult for me to keep track of the songs I heard and liked: I have that problem no more.

Plus it integrates your whole iTunes library into your collection.

Music sharing

Music sharing sounds better than it really is.  Unless you find someone that you have freakishly similar tastes with, sharing music can be frustrating (because the other person might not quite like that song as much as you did).  Spotify ONLY makes sharing easy with other Spotify users.  In fact, sharing Spotify songs outside of Spotify is a pain, and if I want to share on facebook, I always go back to grooveshark.  However, if you have a friend on Spotify, you easily send them a song that you like and attach a love note to it.

Also, Spotify has collaborative playlists, wherein multiple users can submit songs to a playlist in order to produce a robust collection.  Brian and I each have playlists of songs we think the other person would like.  It’s a very simple way to create a list of songs I think are perfect for Brian.  He can take them as he pleases.

Finally, when I am on, I can see exactly what Brian is listening to and what he is adding to his playlists.  I don’t know how many times I have snagged a song from Brian’s “New Oldies” playlist, but I know my “New Trends” playlist is populated heavily with them.  I like exploring new music through my family members.

Mobile features

I don’t know anything about Grooveshark mobile, but I know Pandora is mobile AND free.  That’s one up on Spotify, as you have to pay $9.99 per month for mobile Spotify.  But I love it (thanks Brian and Hayley!).  I can listen to playlists offline (which means I don’t get in trouble for streaming at work).  I listen in my car to and from work.  And I don’t have any commercials.  It’s sleek and smooth on your mobile device and its’ fun. Whee!!!

Stand-Alone feature

Spotify is a stand-alone program, meaning that you need to download it to your computer in order to enjoy it.  Some people may not like it, but I think it is a bonus.  I don’t ever have to rely on my browsers (which all seem to suck on a Mac) to listen to music.  Additionally, I never need to log on and I can unleash the full power of my already-out-of-date RAM.  Plus, I have a habit of accidently closing all my tabs in my browser when I only intend to close one, and it always threw off my Groove(shark).

Artist reimbursement

I recently conversed with a very low-key artist about reimbrsement from various media sources.  He indicated that the best bet for supporting your artist was to buy a CD or vinyl.  However, he indicated that, while he never saw any money from Grooveshark or Pandora, he did see money from Spotify.  I don’t know how Grooveshark works, but I have always felt it akin to the old Napster or Limewire, or Playlist.com.  I honestly don’t know how they get their music.  But I do feel better knowing that, to be on Spotify, you have to have a label and you have to go through the proper channels.  I like supporting the music industry (although I never ever buy CDs anymore; sorry music industry).

Apps

Spotify has in-program apps that can make your listening experience more enjoyable.  I love the lyrics app as it helps me quickly discard objectionable songs.  They also have music discovery apps, apps that keep track of your music, and apps that tell you what concerts around town you would like. Good fun.

Pandora-like radio, but more customizable

Pandora is awesome.  I loved how it would pick out the most perfect song for me.  However, sometimes I would “like” a song that would totally disrupt my perfectly harmonized station (for example, I only like one Shins song in the world, but when I liked it on Pandora, it started popping up strange songs I would never like).  I found it incredibly difficult to locate that song and remove it from my station, especially since I had literally “liked” 100s of songs.  With Spotify, I don’t have that problem.  I can easily sort all my playlists, find the offending song, and eject it.  I can start a radio station from any of my playlists and find music that fits just perfectly.

Anyway, this is long, but I don’t care.  I love music and I really enjoy Spotify.  And if you made it through all of this, you might just like it, too! Loves all!

Happy Birthdays!

Happy (Belated) Birthday to Jules, and Happy Birthday to Dane! Have a wonderful birthday today! :)

Acne is gone

So, basically, after I had Avery my skin has slowly gotten worse and worse.  I just put up with it until the last couple of months.  It got so bad that I was even embarrassed with my own husband.  Not your normal acne.  Just spreads like crazy on my neck and jaw and some on my cheek bones.  TMI.  Anyway.  I made a goal for myself to clear it up in 6 months or go to the DR.  I know that some in our family struggle with it too.  So here is what I have done to make it much, much better.  No Dr. for me. I don't even use cover-up anymore:)  These products I have found work just as good as any other.  Believe me, I have tried them all over the last four years.

Night Time 

Step 1 ~ Wash with the hottest water your hands can stand.  I use regular soap.  Nothing with micro beads (it will scratch your skin) and nothing with moisturizers built in (that will clog pores).  Soap with Aloe is ok. I prefer it because it helps with the adverse affects of the Benzo.

Step 2 ~ Use a cotton pad and dampen it with Deep Cleaning Astringent that is 0.5% Salic Acid (that's an acne medication). Wipe your whole face and neck with multiple pads until they come clean.  Believe me you will be surprised at the dirt and oil that will come off your face with this.  Even after a good washing.

Step 3 ~ Spot treat trouble areas with 10% Benzoyl Peroxide (another acne medication).  Benzo will dry your face out like crazy and may burn it if you use it too much, but I have a cure for that too.

Morning Time

Step 1 ~ Wash with the hottest water your hands can stand using your regular soap.
Step 2 ~  Instead of moisturizer (before make-up for the girls), use hydrocortizone cream all over your face and neck.  I like the .88 cent bottle from Walmart.  It seems to be thicker and more moisturizing.  Make sure you rub it all in just like a lotion.  Pay particular attention to the places you put the Benzo on the night before. It will prevent the Benzo from drying out or burning your skin.  Wait until completely dry and then apply make-up.

Other Things:

Don't touch your face during the day

Change your pillowcase often

Wash your make- up applicators every couple of days

*It took about three weeks for my skin to be very clear, but I noticed a difference in just one week. 

Good luck.  Let me know if you try it.*

Week in Review

So the previous schedule had me a few weeks ago- and I was so excited for it.  I have been thinking and thinking about what I wanted to review.  Alas, my week is this week- and today is Friday.  You may have to forgive me and allow me to add it when I can.  Claudia found out last week that her cancer is back and had to go in for surgery this week.  Blair and I were gone Tues- Thurs with his parents.  Not being near a computer, and quite frankly having more pressing things on my plate, my review has not been top of my list.  Sorry guys, It's not like I don't love you and this idea.

The gift that keeps on giving

In light of the Christmas season, I thought I would do a review on a great gift idea: Magazines. Greg, a few years back, started getting magazine subscriptions for my birthday, valentine's day, Christmas, etc., and I have really grown to love this present.  Magazine subscriptions can be pretty inexpensive, but provide you with a year of entertainment. Who doesn't like to get a treat in the mail? With a magazine subscription, you can get a treat monthly, bi-monthly, or even weekly. I thought I would give a little review of some of the magazines I have really come to enjoy.

People

If you are into pop culture, this is the magazine for you. It is one of the pricier magazines, but you do receive it weekly, and it is filled with all the latest "substanceless" news. Basically, if you like fluff (I do!), you'll like this magazine.

Entertainment Weekly

If you like pop culture, but prefer less of celebrities lives and more of their work, then EW is the one for you. This magazine includes reviews of TV, movies, books, and of things to come in the entertainment world. Also a weekly magazine, it is relatively inexpensive. If you have that movie or TV show you just love or can't wait to see, more likely than not, it will be in this magazine.

Reader's Digest

The Finding Nemo of magazines: It will make you laugh, it will make you cry, and usually has a story about sharks.  I have loved this magazine since I was a little girl. The jokes are hilarious, and the stories are riveting. This magazine comes monthly, and I feel a must have in every home.

Parents

Very inexpensive, and will give you great advice on raising children. Monthly.

Country Living

For those of you that like antiques, old houses, animals, and cozy cottages. I like to call this a "flip through the pictures" magazine. Not many articles, but fun to see all of the country homes and how they decorate them.

Newsweek

Week by week coverage of current events. It will keep you up to date on the things you need to know, but I feel going to local news sites will do that for you just as well, and those are free. :)

Rolling Stone

Greg just got me a subscription to this magazine for my birthday. I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT! It has everything I look for in a magazine: From articles about the latest band to an in depth look into solitary confinement. Most magazines have a lot of ads, but Rolling Stone has very few. It comes bi-monthly and is only $20 a year for a subscription. I highly recommend this one.

Taste of Home

Have you ever wanted to compile a cookbook of all the best cook's favorite recipes? Well, this is the magazine for you! This magazine is basically a monthly cookbook, filled with mouth watering recipes, sure to please everyone in your family. I have yet to try a recipe that I did not love.

Any who, I hope these review help. Please feel free to add your own magazine review in the comments below. I am currently waiting for my subscription to TIME to come, and once I get it, I will give my thoughts on it. Hope this helps some of you with gift giving ideas!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY HAYLEY!!

 
We all LOVE you and had a great time with you on Thanksgiving.