Our Texas Snowstorm!

The weatherman was actually right for once...we got the snow that was predicted!! The kids were so excited; they even built a snowman. Hopefully it'll keep going. That would be great!

Reviews of cosmetics

I know this is kinda random....but I felt like doing something different!! :D So, here is a (probably partial. ;)) list of some cosmetics I've used and my ratings, using a scale of 10. It will include: face cleanser, moisturizer, shampoo, hair conditioner, and make up.

Face cleansers:

(5) Neutrogena soap bars: These are OK....not the greatest, as they dried my skin out, but would probably work pretty well for those with oily skin.

(7) Cetaphil: I really liked their old formula....it was gentle, non-drying, and perfect for my skin. However, they have since changed their recipe, and now it makes me break out with acne; I think the fragrance is the cause.

(8) Burt's Bees Soap Bark and Chamomile Deep Cleansing Cream: I really like this stuff. However, it is pretty expensive and is only for people with dry skin. It is VERY oily. I give it a bonus point for not having either of the SLSs. :)

(4) Burt's Bees Peach and Willowbark Deep Pore Scrub: this stuff is not that great....it's extremely thick, oily, and filmy....I would recommend it for only very dry skin; skin that's even dryer then mine!! I find that it's hard to rinse off, too....def. not worth the price in my opinion!

(10) Aveeno Active Naturals Ultra Calming Moisturizing Cream Cleanser: this stuff is AMAZING!! I really like it. It's not too expensive and does an excellent job without drying while still removing all dirt/makeup. It also takes care of any break outs I get. (Which are mercifully few. :D) However, it probably would not work for oily skin, as it is a cream and is not oil free.

I've also tried one other face cleanser of Aveeno's and really liked it too.

Moisturizer:

(10) Burt's Bee's Radiance Night Cream: I love this stuff....it does an awesome job making my skin very smooth without any dry feeling. It's also very natural, which is great! It's only drawback is the price...which is pretty high. However, a 2 or 3 oz jar lasts me for 6 months.

(7) Olive Oil: works OK....makes your skin very greasy and shiny looking!! Not to mention you smell weird after using it. :D But it is very cheap...which is great! So if you don't mind the smell and shininess, go for it!

(10) Neutrogina Intense Moisture Day Cream (with SPF 15): Great stuff!! The best yet...I think it compares with the Burt's bees night cream. :) And it's not nearly as expensive, although the ingrediants are not as natural. However, it does not make my skin break out, and that's quite an accomplishment!! :D I'm also trying the Neutrogina Night Cream; I'll come back with the rating for that later. :)

Shampoo:

I don't remember all the ones I've used....so I'll just review the ones I do remember.

(5) White Rain: very cheap, easy to find, and does a pretty good job of cleaning. However, there are def. better options. :)

(6) Suave: again, cheap, easy to find, and does a pretty good job. Slightly better then White Rain, IMO.

(10) Burt's Bees Shampoo: best I've used yet. Doesn't cause my forhead to break out (I'm allergive to SLS), makes my hair very soft and shiny, has a pleasant smell, and doesn't strip all oil off my hair. It's also very natural! However, it is pretty expensive, although a little goes a long way. :)

Hair Conditioner:

Again, I don't remember all of the ones I've tried...here are most of them though.

(3) Suave: CHEAPO!!!! The scents are either totally unappetizing or too strong, both of which are not great. ;) I don't think it does anything for hair anyway...I didn't notice a difference!

(10) Burt's Bees Conditioners: these are as good as their shampoo!! My hair really loves these formulas. I feel that they make my hair very manageable, and when you have thick hair that's really nice. ;)

Burt's Bees Deep Conditioner is also great, although I'm not sure if there is a difference between that and the regular conditioner.

Makeup:

I'm not going to review each individual product....that would take too long! Instead I'm just going to review the brands, list what I've tried, and tell you what I liked. :)

Maybelline:

I've tried their liquid mineral foundation, mineral mousse blush, mascara, mineral and regular face powder, lip gloss, and eye shadow. Of those, I would recommend the foundation (it gives very sheer coverage, which is all I need. ;)) mascara, regular powder, lip gloss, and blush. The eye shadow is too glittery (which tends to be messy and get all over your face!) and powdery. The mineral powder is just awful, IMO...it looks sooo fake!!


Rimmel London:

I've tried their blush, eye shadow, and powder. So far, I'd recommend all! I've not found anything about any of them that makes me wish I'd chosen differently. The powder especially is very nice.

Covergirl:

I've tried their mascara and eyeshadow. Both were fine....although the eye shadow was a bit on the powdery/glittery side. Not too bad though. The mascara is probably the best I've tried. It makes your lashes look nicer without making them look and feel heavy/too dark.

Bonnebelle:

I've tried their lipgloss and mascara. I like their prices....and the product is decent, too. The lipgloss is great, especially if you want shine and moisture.

OK, so there you have it: most of the products I would recommend and the ones I do not. Hope you enjoyed it!!


Have a great evening and night!!

~E

A giveaway...

Eldarwen is hosting her own giveaway over at The Faithful Elven Princess. Head over and check it out!! The prizes are neat...come on, go ahead, it only takes a few seconds!! :D

Have a great evening everyone!!

~E

Another great award!

Carrie over at The Blog of a Writing Maiden awarded me! Thanks Carrie!

The rules:

1. List 8 stories or books that you would like to live in.

2. List 8 other bloggers who deserve this award.

3. Comment on their blog and tell them they won an award.

OK, stories or books I would like to live it...hmmm.

This Present Darkness

Chronicles of Narnia

The Bible :D

The Bronze Bow

The Black Stallion

(I'm running out of ideas. :D)

Black Horses for the King

Big Red

Old Yeller

I award:

Eldarwen Falariel

Mimi

FaithnGrace girl

Bethany

Kathleen

Hope

Patrick

OK, those are all the people I know on here! So it'll have to do. :) ;)

Have a blessed evening!

~E

A great Award!

Eldarwen Falariel (www.thefaithfulelvenprincess.blogspot.com) got this award and the gave it to all her unmarried lady followers. I thought it was very lovely. In turn, I also give it to all who are unmarried and a lady. :)

~E

Our newest addition....

Yesterday I brought home our fourth dog: a black miniature poodle!! It's a 3 or 4 yo male named Devin. Poor guy....he is sooo nervous! Not to mention dehydrated....his neck skin will pinch up into a fold, yet he refuses to drink water! This morning we got him to accept some watered-down milk though. That's better then nothing! Hopefully he'll warm up to the water. I'm guessing that our water smells different then the water he is used to, and so he won't touch it.

I spent 3 hrs grooming him yesterday. Boy was he a mess! The lady I got him from is struggling to take care of her dogs, and so she's rehoming some of them. She felt really bad that Devin had gotten so unkempt....he looks beautiful now though!!

Before and after pics...it's pretty obvious which is which. ;)

~E

Ladies and gentlemen, I now present to you....

My 50th post!! Thanks to all who asked me questions. It will be great fun to answer!!

Carilyn asked:

~What extracurricular electives did you do in high school?~

I took piano lessons, worked a job, and got partway through Agriculture. I also did a lot of homemaking stuff, like cooking, baking, sewing, etc. But I didn't get high-school credit for that. :D

~Also, are you planning on going to college?~

No is the simplest answer. I may decide later to take an online college course to be a veterinary technician, but I seriously doubt it. That would happen only if grooming failed me, and so far it looks like it'll carry me as far as I need it to. :)

Jenna asked:

~What are your thoughts and convictions on giving God your womb? ~

My thoughts: I want a large but not huge family; my mother is very talented. ;D I'm not sure I could handle 10 kids, especially if I kiddo like me were included. :D

My convictions: everything is totally up to God. If He wants me to have lots and lots of kids, so be it. Also, there is the other side: if He only gives me 1, 2, or 3, I'll accept that too. I've bascially given it into His hands completely....that goes for marriage, too.

~Do you think that girls are ONLY supposed to wear skirts/dresses or are pants okay?!?~

That's a hard one. ;D I think that in every situation possible, a girl should wear skirts and dresses. However, if in a particular situation it would be more modest for her to wear pants, she should. For example, my job: there would be a lot of opportunities for a skirt to fly up! Sports is another example. Otherwise, skirts are the way to go! I like them a lot anyway. :D

~One more...what is your favorite thing about living in a big family?~

Yipes Jenna, you asked me some toughies!! Lemme see....I would have to say it's the love. With more ppl around you, there are more ppl to give and receive love from! Also, the fun times occur more often and are THE BEST!! :D After all, with 10 kids, at least one of them is bound to be a bit of a clown. ;) And I think we have more then one....

Shann asked:

~How many kids do you want, when you get married?~

I don't like to put an absolute number on it, but I think that between 5 and 8 would be great! Not too much but plenty to love and have fun with. ;)

~What is your BIGGEST dream?~

I have to say that right now it's getting married and starting my family. Being finished with my 2 yrs of mandatory work at my job ranks pretty high too. Sorry folks, I don't aspire to much. ;D Oh oh oh, I forgot: to own at least one horse. Another big dream. Does that satisfy your curiousity Ms. Shann? You got 3 answers to one question.

~If you were to travel ANYWHERE in the world, where would you choose?~

Oh goodness....I hate that question. *laughs* Not really.....it's just hard to answer!! I like TX pretty well. ;) Ummm..probably France or the Western US. That and WI. :D ;)

Thanks everyone for your questions!! I hope the answers are satisfactory. I tried to keep them short and concise....I can totally go on and on sometimes. :D I guess that's part of being a girl...*rolls eyes*

Love to you all,

~E

Pray for Haiti

Here are some "fast facts" about the 'quakeI found by Googling:

Fast facts – Haiti Earthquake

• USGS: USGS called it the strongest earthquake since 1770 in what is now Haiti

• The quake struck on January 12, 2010 at 4:53 p.m.

• The 7.0 magnitude quake's epicenter hit just 10 miles west of Porte-au-Prince and its 2 million inhabitants

• 3 million people in need of emergency aid after major earthquake

• The major quake sent 33 aftershocks ranging in magnitude from 4.2 to 5.9

• The Red Cross dispatched a relief team from Geneva and the UN's World Food Program is flying in two planes with emergency food aid.

• The Inter-American Development Bank said it was immediately approving a $200,000 grant for emergency aid.

• Some 9,000 peacekeepers have been in Haiti since 2004, including 1,266 Brazilians.

• Haiti has no real construction standards.

• November 2008: Following the collapse of a school in Petionville, the mayor of Port-au-Prince estimated about 60% of buildings were shoddily built and unsafe in normal circumstances.

And some facts about the ppl in general:

Fast facts - Haiti

• Discovered by Columbus in 1492.

• Haiti won its independence from France on January 1, 1804.

• Population of nearly 10 million people.

• Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere.

• 80% of the population in Haiti is living under the poverty line.

• Most Haitians live on less than $2 a day.

• More than two-thirds of the labor force do not have formal jobs.

• Haiti is slightly smaller than Maryland.

• The Haiti telecommunications infrastructure is among the least developed in Latin America and the Caribbean.

• Haiti has 14 airports; 4 have paved runways.

• Haiti’s capital is Porte-au-Prince, a coastal city with about 2 million inhabitants.

• After decades of dictatorship, former Roman Catholic priest Jean-Bertrand Aristide became Haiti's first freely elected leader in 1990.

• Aristide was ousted by a military coup in 1991 but reinstated with U.S. backing.

• Aristide was forced out of the country and into exile in 2004 by a rebellion of gangs and former soldiers.

• Democratic rule was restored in 2006.

• Haiti has been led by President Rene Preval since May 2006 when the country returned to constitutional rule.

• Haiti is one of the original members of the United Nations and several of its specialized and related agencies, as well as a member of the Organization of American States (OAS).

• In July 2004, $1.085 billion was pledged through 2006 at the World Bank Donors' Conference. Donors included the U.S., Canada, the EU, France, Sweden, Spain, Germany, Japan, Switzerland, Greece, Norway, Mexico, and Ireland

Wow....we need to really pray for these poor ppl!! I know that there are many organizations you can make donations through, too. Perhaps I'll be able to find some trustable ones for y'all. I know of at least one, but I can't remember what it's called right now! Darn....y'all ever do that? I mean, goodness, I'm not that old!! ;D

OK, well, until later...TTFN!

~E

Prayer please...

Another prayer request: Eldarwen over at "The Faithful Elven Princess" is having a rough time of it. Her daddy is pretty sick and in the hospital; read about it here: http://thefaithfulelvenprincess.blogspot.com/

Thanks so much!!

Don't forget to leave me a question to answer in my 50th post!! http://thedaytodaywalk.blogspot.com/2010/01/almost-to-50.html

~E

Good news!!

Yesterday some dear friends of mine had their baby!! It's a little boy this time. They don't have a name for him yet though. Just pray for the mother; she's had a lot of baby's, and the more babies you have the more pain you experience after birth. ;) So please pray for her. :) Thanks!!

In Christ,

~E