Moments.

Happy 9th Birthday, Audi! Love you so much! ♥

Drying fingernail polish in cold water.

While on Pinterest a few weeks ago, I came across a pin that claimed holding your freshly painted nails in cold water would dry the polish instantly. So you know, I just had to try it!

Here is the original claim:

"How to Dry Nail Polish Quickly: Submerge wet nails in cold water for 3 minutes. The polish will dry completely, and it gets rid of any that got onto your skin!"

Let's do this!

First, my freshly painted OPI nails (2 coats of polish). I left the additional polish that got on my fingers, since it states the cold water will remove that, also.



Here's my bowl of water. I add some ice to assure it was cold.



Freshly painted fingers in! It was cold!! I actually kept my fingers in for 4 minutes, just for good measure.



Pulled them out & immediately pressed my fingertip onto a nail. Yep, left an imprint. So I grabbed a paper towel & dried my hands.

Hmm. Well, I'd have to say this claim is a big, ol' flop. (Sorry about the blurriness - I still haven't quite figured out the focus on my new phone.) The cold water didn't remove a lick of the extra polish, either.



Exhibit 2. Epic fail.



Guess I'll continue to use my faithful Butane. Butane! Can you believe I use Butane?! How stupid is that?! Ha! This actually works good at setting fresh polish, then I'm just careful with mine for the next hour or so.



Happy polishing!

(You can find the original Pinterest article here.)

Some of my most favorite Shaklee products!

I finally got some of my most favorite products listed! Click below to see what products I just love & won't live without!

My favorite products!

Featured product - Shaklee's Get Clean Fresh Laundry Concentrate!

I love, love, love Shaklee's Get Clean Fresh Laundry Concentrate silky powder! Simply delish, with no harmful chemicals! It's natural, biodegradable & hypoallergenic, with no phosphates or chlorine. I began using this particular 14 lb. box on Nov. 1st. We are a family of 6 & I do a lot of washing! I just now filled my jar up for the 2nd time & you can see in the bag how much is remaining. I used it 30 days in Nov., 30 days in Dec., Jan. & Feb. for the current jar & then a 3rd refill! Wow! This box is going to last me approximately 5+ months! For a full load, it only takes 1/4 cup - just a tiny bit. The scent is mild & yummy. I just can't say enough good things about it - including how clean & soft our clothes are (I'm VERY picky & take very good care of our clothes!) In addition, it makes me so happy that I no longer use a chemical detergent that gets absorbed through our skin! Read all about it & purchase yours here: Get Clean Fresh Laundry Concentrate.

I love to do laundry! Happy laundry to you!

Getting reacquainted.

If you've known me long, you know one of my greatest passions is photography. Natural light photography, specifically. I think I've done a post close to this one, stating that I just don't take photos like I used to. Although I am taking more photos, it's still not to my satisfaction. I also mentioned that I had shifted all of my extra time & energy to my other passion - Shaklee. I love & adore Shaklee! Nothing has changed about that & nothing will ever change about that. I still devote time to Shaklee, but now that my business is getting more established, I really want to focus on & increase my photography. I will be posting more photos here, like I used to do in the past. I am ready & I am excited!

Christmas, for the most part, is over. We do have my family Christmas on the 30th, & then Audi's birthday on the 31st & Jaguar's birthday on January 1st. Five days later, is Mercedes' birthday. Whew! To say this time of the year is exhausting for me is an understatement. Especially with a few illnesses thrown in there, to boot. But as proven years past, all will be fine, all will be celebrated & all will be happy. I still have my review to do, too. I wanted it completed a few weeks ago, but sometimes my intentions get the best of me & what I want to accomplish just isn't realitic to what actually gets accomplished. Most of the time, I bite off more than I can chew. My review will get done, but it will probably happen the 2nd week or so in January, once things slow down. And if it happens sooner - that'll be great, too.

So amidst wrapping up Christmas & three birthday celebrations, I will squeeze in more research time to find another great Canon lens for my camera. Due to poor in-house lighting on Christmas day, I had to use my flash on all photos I took. I am still just sick over it. I am completely anti-flash, so when I'm forced to use it, I'm just not a happy camper. New lens with a large aperture it will be, just as soon as I can get to a reputable camera store.

Now. Time to organize images, back up all images, clear my CF cards & yet again, charge my camera battery. Time to ignite that passion!

Day of Silence.

On Tuesday, December 18th, there will be a blogger day of silence. We will post the button and that's it. Please try to not post anything else that day if possible.

We are also raising money that will go to an organization in the memory of this tragedy. The organization is called The Newtown Family Youth and Family Services. Here is the official description of the support service we are donating to:

"Newtown Youth and Family Services, Inc. is a licensed, non-profit, mental health clinic and youth services bureau dedicated to helping children and families achieve their highest potential. NYFS provides programs, services, activities, counseling, support groups and education throughout the Greater Newtown area.

ANY DONATIONS MADE TO NEWTOWN YOUTH AND FAMILY SERVICES WILL BE DONATED DIRECTLY TO THOSE EFFECTED BY THE SANDY HOOK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SHOOTING."


Please visit THIS PAGE to make your donation.

We can't imagine how they must be feeling, especially this close to the holidays. We would love for you to spread the word on your own blog, Facebook, Twitter, etc. Let's make a difference and use blogging in a positive way. Thank you in advance for participating.

Love,

The Blog World

p.s. If you would like to, copy-paste and repost any part of this, please do. Share on.

Shaklee's Nourishing Scalp Treatment!

Every week, I plan to implement a 'Featured Product' on my Facebook page & blog. Once a week, I'm going to feature one of my most favorite Shaklee products! And there are many, so get ready!



Tonight, I'm featuring Shaklee's Nourishing Scalp Treatment. This product is for anyone who has thinning hair or is concerned about hair loss. It's completely normal to lose hair every day, but I felt as if I was losing more than the 'normal' amount. Daily, I began taking Biotin (everyone should be taking 3,000 mg of Biotin every day! Not only does it promote healthy hair/skin/nails, it also helps maintain a steady blood sugar level! Available at any pharmacy - about $3.) & I'm now using the Nourishing Scalp Treatment. I haven't noticed subtle results, I have noticed tremendous results!! Wonderful improvement! Now, when I shower, as well as before I blow dry, I have little to no hair loss. It's amazing! I'm almost 46 years sophisticated & unfortunately, thinning hair comes with the territory. I'm literally stopping it in it's tracks! I have long hair & I have a lot of hair & I'm going to keep it that way! You just apply some drops of this product & massage it into your scalp. I LOVE it! Read all about it & order yours here: Nourishing Scalp Treatment.

Every girl deserves beautiful, full, healthy hair!

Merry Christmas decorations - 2012!

I love Christmas! It's such a magical time of the year.

My children's tree. I love how fun the colors are on their tree! With uniformed ornaments. That I possibly rearranged after they went to bed.



(And my pitiful little dresser that still needs refurbishing. But I love it.)













My tree, which I just love! I love traditional Christmas colors. Next year, however, I want a little 'Tiffany' tree. Since I can't deviate from traditional colors, I think I'll need a little 3rd tree to play with.



Praying for all those involved in today's horrific, devastating tragedy.

Moments.

His very first concert last night. He did so well. Heck, they all did so well! Largest band they've had in 8 years. Was a great Christmas concert.

My husband has been in MN since Monday & returns tomorrow, so hopefully I can get back to blogging. And I'm glad he's returning - mama's getting tired!

Happy 12.12.12!

Armpit update!

Never thought I'd be posting those words on my blog! Ha!

On November 1, 2012, I wrote this blog post about why I changed to Shaklee's paraben-free Essentials Antiperspirant Cream & what little miracle occurred during the process.  I thought it was time for an update!

Quick review.

For years I had this unsightly underarm rash, under both arms. I had it for so many years, I don't even know how many years it was. I just lived with it. What I failed to mention in my Nov. 1 blog post is that the rash(es) was actually more pronounced than is shown in the photos. My old iPhone didn't have a flash & it never displayed proper color on images - the photos were always lighter than they were in person. Example - when my hair was jet black (don't ask), my iPhone images displayed my hair color as being dark brown. The red rash(es) you see in the photos was actually deeper red than they appear. Not larger, just redder.





When I stopped using my commercial deodorants, my rashes disappeared! They darn tootin' did. And that's not even why I switched to Shaklee, it was just an extra bonus. I'm delighted! After all those years - gone. The red, irritated rash(es) dissipated, but kind of left a light brown coloring from 'scarring' (as I call it). I was fine with that!



The photo below was taken a few days ago, with my new iPhone, that does have a flash. The coloring is so much better! You can see, 6 weeks after using Shaklee's Essentials Antiperspirant Cream, the rash(es) is still gone! And though it may be hard to tell, now, so is the scarring! Also, I have the cream on in the below photo, because I want to show you how your underarms will appear after applying the white cream. It instantly disappears! You can see just a tad of wetness right in the crease, because I had just applied it & it hadn't completely dried yet. I LOVE this stuff!



As you can see on the jar, I began using it on 10.13.12. Six weeks later, this is how much is still left! This will last me about 30 more days & then it will be out. So all in all, this little jar, which I have used every single day without fail, will have lasted me 90 days or so! Yes, please!



Too expensive? You decide. It's $12.00 for members ($14 non-members). So basically, that's $4 monthly. What are you paying now? I know that Secret's newest line runs around $7 or so. And I know the Secret I was using didn't last me 3-4 months. So. Paraben-free? Yes. Visual proof that it eliminated a 'permanent' rash(es) caused by commercial, chemical deodorants? Yes. All natural & safe? Yes again.

I've said this many times, but I'll say it again - I am one very picky person. If I don't like a product, I'm not using it. It's just that simple. I don't care if I sell the stuff or not. I love products, so I only use what I like & what works. I've used this product for 6 weeks now. By now, I can call it. Ready?

Shaklee's Essential Antiperspirant Deodorant is the best deodorant I have ever used & I will never use anything else.

I'm 45 years old sophisticated. That means I've used a lot of different, commercial deodorants. And that means, I just made one heck of a claim.

Ironically, a friend of mine posted this article today on her FB page. I did not search this article out or even do any further research (I've done plenty). It just drives home the message I've been trying so hard to get out - it's just more proof that switching brands can benefit your health! Check out #3!

http://www.healthychild.org/blog/comments/how_to_avoid_chemicals_linked_to_breast_cancer/#ixzz2E0pkNLOk


You can purchase the deodorant by clicking here. You don't need the parabens. Neither do your daughters, daughters-in-law, nieces & granddaughters. Parabens are present in 99% of breast cancers. For your health, please order some!

Top 12 cancer causing products in your home!

This is very important information - please take the time to read it!

The top 12 cancer causing products in your home! Click the link below to see the list of harmful, toxic chemicals!

http://worldtruth.tv/top-12-cancer-causing-products-in-the-average-home/?fb_comment_id=fbc_410217209043267_81460601_443900015674986

A friend of mine, who has devoted countless hours of research on this very subject, added her own accurate statement after reviewing the list of the chemicals: "I appreciate this list, but the safer milk suggestion of organic SKIM is dead wrong! Always, always choose full fat (local grass fed cow milk is even better)!"

Truth be told, this is exactly why everyone, everywhere should be using most of Shaklee's non-toxic products! I will NEVER go back to commercial products! Go to my Shaklee site, join as a member & give your family the best possible gift ever - getting the dangerous, harmful, toxic chemicals out of your home once & for all! Shaklee products are the healthiest, best products I've ever used! You certainly do NOT need to order every single Shaklee product, but start with a cleaning kit & rid the toxic cleaning products & laundry detergent! Any change is better than no change at all!

Here is my Shaklee site: www.melissabrazell.myshaklee.com

Remember, you cannot put a price on your health & the health of your children & loved ones!

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