Monday, July 8, 2019

Dog Tales + #MyPostMonday The Week's Best Original Content

Let's talk about dogs, shall we? This summer my own sweet Evee is into her twilight years. Her snout is turning grey, she has trouble getting up when in resting position, she doesn't run after frisbees like she used to (she's good for about 5 minutes and then she's done). When we go on our morning walks, she really loves it, but it pretty much wears her out for the rest of the day. She and my dad are the biggest pals. They love taking naps together, he in his recliner and Evee at his feet. She's had a happy life. I've gone above and beyond trying to make her life happy. And she has certainly made mine sweeter.

But it's not Evee that I'll be perseverating on today. I have a few recent stories I'd like to share!

Story 1: I occasionally see a certain fellow dog-owner on my walks. She has two dogs with her and she has them leashed per the park ordinance that all dogs must be leashed. One of them isn't so friendly, by her own admission, so she doesn't appreciate people with dogs that aren't leashed because usually those dogs want to approach other dogs and demonstrate their amazing hiney-sniffing skills. Just as an FYI, some dogs and humans don't appreciate being approached by uninvited dogs or pets. It leads to awkward encounters that shouldn't have to be endured when you're out on a walk, minding your own business. But beyond that, some encounters go way past mere awkwardness. For instance this woman told me about a leashed dog who was approached by, not only an unleashed dog, but an unleashed pit bull and true to the stereotype, the pit bull launched into the leashed dog and ripped the unsuspecting dog up. This was documented on the neighborhood app and an alert went out to watch out for that owner and dog. But not to be reliant on an app, my leash-loving friend with the two dogs now carries a gun. She claims she wants to enjoy her walks. Believe me, whenever we cross paths, I make sure to move over and give her a wide berth! But are her fears unfounded? Who wants to meet someone's crazy dog and get into harm's way?

Saturday, July 6, 2019

An Individualized Skin Regimen - Y'OUR Skincare #Review

The subscription box has taken the world by storm. We love our subscription boxes! Now there is  a box that has your own individual skin in mind! Y'OUR Skincare is the best way to keep your skin routine going, no matter what happens in your personal life. 

This blog receives product samples to facilitate honest and fair reviews
Just take the quiz, get the 4 essential skincare products shipped via free shipping, try them for 3 months, in which time you can have your products reformulated if you don't find them to be perfect for you! 

I decided to give this a try because I'm always searching for a way to make my skincare routine a little more streamlined, a little more effective and a little less costly. 

More Streamlined:
First of all, the products I receive are already tailored to me. Once I take the quiz, that's all I need to do. No more looking at different skincare labels at the store and trying to ascertain if a specific product would be good for my type of skin. Now I don't even have to go out and get it, since it's delivered to my door! It's like a party for my face!

I like to keep my regimen simple and fast. For instance, I don't want to be waiting on creams that don't absorb into my skin for a long while, therefore making me wait until I can continue with my next step. Y'OUR Skincare has a basic 2-step routine for the day and a basic 3-step routine for the evening. 

Friday, June 28, 2019

White Teeth! An Alternative To Gel Whiteners! #ProductReview


Sometimes I am a reluctant participant in the grooming rituals of today's social norms. For instance, I like white teeth as much as anyone, but I haven't liked to do the whitening thing in the past. It's a fact, I hate the gel that goes into the trays. There is always some that oozes out of the tray after I put it into my mouth and makes my saliva glands go crazy when it does. And of course, I'm not going to swallow it because it's toxic! How toxic? I don't even want to read up on it. I'm constantly leaning over the sink, spitting the residue gel out. To me it's the grossest thing! I've been known to have less than pearly whites for months on end. I've learned to endure a slightly yellow tint except for those truly special occasions and then I'll finally put the gel on the tray and let it percolate for 20 minutes, tops. 

Hooray! That is now all in the past. I can assure you that my teeth are going to look more on point now. I've found the perfect whitener!
Rather than a thick gel that goes into the tray, how about a light foam that tastes like the best mints ever? It is so easy---you just pump a small amount in the tray and leave it in your mouth for however long you want. I usually do 15 minutes, but longer is always nice. It doesn't feel gross and thick. It doesn't make me salivate unwillingly. And it doesn't get stuck to the roof of my mouth when it comes out of the tray. (The things people endure for beauty's sake, gah!)
This blog accepts product samples for review purposes

Monday, June 24, 2019

The Brain Drain + #MyPostMonday The Week's Best Original Content

This summer I have decided to do some things for my own self-improvement and also do some projects that haven't had the chance to get done because of work during the school year. 

I have made some lists, some goals, and some resolutions to that end. There are some long range goals, weekly goals, and daily goals.  

I feel pretty motivated so far and some things definitely have been accomplished. But what I've come to realize is that no matter how much free time I have, no matter how motivated I am, there will always be something that makes the accomplishment of my goals more difficult than I had originally planned. 

My brain really wants to accomplish things, but my body isn't cooperating so much. So many wasted minutes and seconds, doing mindless activities like looking at my phone, staring into space, forgetting what I went into a room to do, remembering something I wanted to do but didn't include on my master list and doing it anyway.  Binge eating, binge napping, binge t.v. watching...

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Saturday, June 15, 2019

Great Hair! An Organic Hair Elixir That Fixes Dry Hair Immediately #ProductReview

I deem myself fortunate to be able to review the hair serum from InLight Beauty and distributed here in the U.S. by 'Hug Your Skin' 


What I loved about InLight Hair Elixir is that first of all, it comes in a high-quality metal pump bottle. It is very easy to apply. It comes out in a controlled amount that you can add to if you want more.


I am amazed at how quickly it works to fix dry hair problems! One moment you have dry hair, that looks and feels like straw (I'm referring to my own hair--incredibly dry) and the next, it's soft and healthy! It absorbs magically into the hair shaft, with virtually no oily residue.

Monday, June 10, 2019

The Season Of Roses + #MyPostMonday The Week's Best Original Content

I've noticed that this year the roses are looking so gorgeous!
Is it because of the inordinate amount of rainfall we received in May? Finally tomorrow on June 11th we will be getting our 80 degree temperatures typical of this time of year.

Whatever the reason, the roses are absolutely breathtaking. And here in the desert, rose season doesn't last very long. They're here for a short while and then they're gone.

The only consolation is that we'll get to see them once again in bloom next year. And then we can capture them on our cameras and film to treasure because no rose is ever the same.


I was once told that I was like a rose--beautiful, innocent, and pure. I was also told that once I let myself be "sullied" outside of marriage, my petals would be faded and I would be just a wilted flower, including kissing. 

The unfortunate thing is that I truly believed it. So soon after 12 years of age, I felt like I was a wilted rose. I never shook that belief until many years later, I learned that I am so much more than that, and that purity is a process of becoming--- much more than a single act or series of acts.

I seldom hear that condemning rhetoric nowadays. We have come so much further than what I grew up with. Women can know that moral responsibility doesn't rest solely upon themselves and that men are equally responsible for honor and virtue. 

Furthermore, when mistakes happen, we can have every chance of being pure and full of virtue. Some don't care about that kind of thing. But for those who do, know that it isn't too late if something happened to you or if you made a mistake that you regret. You will bloom as beautifully and brightly as the first day of Spring. Healing will happen, and with it, deeper conviction, firmer roots, and your face will be raised to the sun!

Today is "My Post Monday!", a curation of the week's best original content. It's all about posts from Crafts to Camping, Wellness to Wealth, Fashion to Food, and whatever else is on the brain!  I  open up with a post of my own and then follow it up with a linky of the week's top original blog posts! It's all about what the writer thinks, believes, and knows--in other words, they are active, writing blogs. If I happen to find a great original, non-sponsored post, I'll link it up and share it with you here and on Twitter via the #MyPostMonday hashtag!  I can miss some amazing posts, but I don't want to!  So, in addition, if you'd like to link up yourself, you can do that too!  I'll visit your site, comment, promote and publicize(Affiliate links welcome)     

Monday, May 27, 2019

A Better American + #MyPostMonday The Week's Best Original Content

Today is Memorial Day. How has your day been? Mine was great! I feel like we can't give enough honor to all of the great men and women who have served so selflessly, above and beyond the call of duty. So I ask myself, what can be done to make these men and women's sacrifice more appreciated and worth their fight? And the thought occurred to me that we can do honor to our veterans by being better citizens of the country that they have given their lives to protect, the good 'ol USA!

How can we be better Americans? Here's a couple of ideas that I think would be helpful, based on my experience. I'm sure there are so many others:
  • Let's have more respect for one another. When we're out and about, or sitting alone in front of the screen, let's be respectful and aware that there are others who are every bit as entitled to courtesy and an opinion as we are!
  • Let's be happy and grateful to put in a good day's work. The ability to work is awesome, and there are plenty of opportunities to do it. The opportunity to get out and contribute to society by providing a service is amazing!
  • Let's not be so worried about what the person next to us has.
  • Let's vote for our candidates of choice but not go postal if they don't win.
  • Let's be respectful of candidates that win by the voice of the people.
  • Let's keep our Constitution intact and not tear it apart just so we can get what we want. (Ex. The Founding Father's knew there was a reason for the electoral collage. It provides for people from all walks of life to be represented and counted. Don't try to eliminate it just because it means that your candidate won't win because of sheer numbers. There's much more to it than that.)
  • Let's give liberally to the charities of our choice and not simply think that the Government should take care of everyone. It can't, and it never will.
  • People always come first. Period.
  • Study history, science and other disciplines on your own. Don't just trust what a teacher or professor tells you. Be your own fact checker. There are a lot of pretenders out there,willing to skew facts, data, and outright lie to get their agendas accomplished.
  • Let's not trust everything on the internet. Make sure that we know our sources. (That would include this post!) 

And there you have it, my How-to on how to make sure that our veterans are valued even more for the great sacrifices they have rendered to our country! As we become more considerate, thoughtful and smarter about our chosen philosophies, we will render the thanks that every veteran holds dear, a country that is united, free, and indivisible under God!

  Today is "My Post Monday!", a curation of the week's best original content. It's all about posts from Crafts to Camping, Wellness to Wealth, Fashion to Food, and whatever else is on the brain!  I  open up with a post of my own and then follow it up with a linky of the week's top original blog posts! It's all about what the writer thinks, believes, and knows--in other words, they are active, writing blogs. If I happen to find a great original, non-sponsored post, I'll link it up and share it with you here and on Twitter via the #MyPostMonday hashtag!  I can miss some amazing posts, but I don't want to!  So, in addition, if you'd like to link up yourself, you can do that too!  I'll visit your site, comment, promote and publicize(Affiliate links welcome)    

Monday, May 20, 2019

Ostracized, Stigmatized, And Categorized + #MyPostMonday The Week's Best Original Content

This month is National Mental Health Awareness Month and how aware of Mental Health issues I am! I've been touched by those who struggle with mental health issues all of my life. And do you know what? Most of them are wonderful, kind, intelligent people. Yet many times they have been ostracized, stigmatized, and categorized.      

My Uncle was such a kind person per my recollection, and he had schizophrenia. He alternated between living with my grandparents and in the veteran's hospital, due to his diagnosis during his time served in the Korean War. I remember him walking around the house aimlessly, sometimes muttering to himself, as if participating in some fascinating conversation, unseen by myself or anyone else. But he was oh, so harmless. I don't remember him really participating in birthdays or Christmas. But one year, I gave him a handmade reindeer ornament. I will always remember his smile of delight. It was such a small gesture, but it showed that he knew me, and valued my gift!
Another close relative, though not by blood, was diagnosed with Type I Bipolar Disorder. That was really interesting. One day he would be so talkative and have all kinds of amazing insights. He would keep you a captive of his conversation for hours, unless you could somehow get away. The next week he would be down for the count, seeing no one and going nowhere for weeks.

Saturday, April 6, 2019

How To Celebrate A Milestone Event For Your Elderly Parent

This past January, my Dad celebrated his 90th birthday. It is quite a milestone for anyone and it was no different with him. He has lived a lot of years and has seen a lot of things in his lifetime. One thing he would tell you is how far the world has come in terms of technology and how wealthy our country has become. He was just a little boy in the Depression and although he was still young, it was extremely hard on him. His Dad was like a lot of folks during that time. They owned a nice little farm in rural Utah, but they just couldn't scrape together the money to pay the property taxes and so they lost the farm. It was such a blow to him at that young age.

For several years, He often went very hungry, at a time when he needed to eat in order to grow. He remembers eating oft-boiled bone broth made of one potato if they were lucky. Once a year they might split an orange for a special treat. Somehow he survived, but he was never the same care-free child he was before the Depression. He grew up quickly. From that time forward, everything he did was influenced by those early hardships. He was gone and out the door at 17 years old, working on huge ships, delivering cargo all over the world as a merchant marine.

As his 90th grew closer, I knew I wanted to do something special for him, something that was different from the normal birthday cake and dinner get-togethers we have with the family. Those events are always nice, but this called for something a bit different.

Monday, April 1, 2019

Resurgence of Spring + #MyPostMonday The Week's Best Original Content

Our weather has turned from cold and snowy all the time, to cold and snowy half the time and springlike the other half. No wonder I'm in a tizzy with my moods, and my plans.  I'm always caught by surprise! Even the most weathered weather person can be off by a day or two. So although they can forecast a general weather pattern with general certainty, they can't always get the timetable absolutely correct!

And even if it's pretty and sunny where I live on any given day, go just 10 miles up Alta Canyon and you've got a whole different scenario. Like the picture below, winter is still in full force in the mountains. 

But I wouldn't have it any other way. I love winter because it serves my introvert self quite well. I mean, what can you really do after work in the winter, except curl up in a blanket, dog on lap, hot chocolate on side table and read, binge on shows, or do games on your tab and take sweet, sweet naps? After all, with no kids at home, and not even a sign of a grandchild, my dog, dad, and dearest get all the attention they want from me, leaving me with some extra time on my hands.