Cosmetics

Laura Steen recommends this:

Photo Finish Foundation Primer

Where can I get it: Most anywhere, including: Sephora, Ulta or Amazon.com

What it is: Smashbox makeup artists use this product to create a perfect canvas for foundation application.

What it is formulated to do: The silky blend of vitamins and antioxidants smoothes and perfects skin, while the unique formula helps to inhibit the destruction of collagen, and fills in fine lines and pores for a flawless finish.

What else you need to know: Use after moisturizer and before foundation for complexion perfection. This skin-soothing blend of antioxidants, which can be worn alone or under foundation, works overtime to fill in fine lines and even out skin texture.

Whoopie Pies

These are some of my all time favorite things ever! Joyce O'Bannon gave me a dozen one year for my birthday and I kept them under my bed and ate one every day for almost two weeks! I was about 10 then and calories didn't count. Never mind the frosting is made with eggs and I was risking poisoning myself. But I knew they would not last a minute out in the common space of the refrigerator and I was willing to take my chances. Christine found this article , it makes my mouth water just to read about them. I assume Joyce's were made from that old Amish recipe. They were so moist they would stick to the roof of your mouth and physically could not be eaten without a glass of milk nearby. Whoopie! certainly fits my reaction to this oh so yummy dessert.

Din Bin Salad

This is a very refreshing salad, so easy to make, and so good for you. I can hardly wait for tomato season. Put some of all of this in a bowl and eat it! I would measure out the olive oil though if I were you. 3 Tablespoons of Olive Oil has about 24 grams of fat! So go easy on it. Celery is known for its benefits to the brain and Apple Cider Vinegar aids in digestion, contains potassium and calcium, can clear up your skin, great for joint pain and stiffness and more! I added the spinach on my own, I always seem to have some on hand and find it just too good for you not to use every chance I get, so I simply add a small handful for good measure.

Hearts of Romaine

Spinach (if desired)

Feta

Tomatoes

Cucumber- diced

Celery- sliced

Organic Raw Apple Cider Vinegar
Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Kosher Salt (if desired)

Nutrition

The following are all compliments of Ginny Reddick, nutritionist with Chick-fil-a and fellow ministry school student. Ginny loves to teach others how to eat healthy, be healthy, maintain energy and live strong. She is all about a healthy mind, body and spirit. Eating healthy each day keeps our blood sugar at proper levels and keeps us from storing too much fat into our muscles and our heart is a muscle! Ginny recommends:

This simple little grocery list to help you plan ahead: /

This amazing website to help you watch your caloric intake to help you watch what you are eating and learn about the nutritional benefits of your meals and to help you lose weight and stay healthy: http://www.thedailyplate.com/. This site will soon be housed under the site http://www.livestrong.com/ It requires you to register and then you can daily add in exactly what you had to eat, how many servings and it will show you a breakdown of the percentages of proteins, calories, fat, etc that you consumed in comparison to daily requirements. You can create a profile with your age, height and weight and how much weight you would like to lose and it will tell you how many calories you need to consume each day to reach your weight loss goals. I think the site is wonderful. I don't know if time will permit for me to use it for a lifetime, but a few weeks of adding exactly what I am eating will soon teach me how to make these calculations in my head and will certainly make me more aware of what I am consuming. The features on the site are endless and I highly recommend checking it out! You can add in your exercise and it calculates accordingly.

Ginny's overall recommendations for eating revolve around a 2-2-1 plan. She suggests eating 2 servings of fruits and vegetables (a serving being a handful), 2 servings of grains, and 1 serving of protein at EVERY MEAL. She also suggests healthy snacks in between meals. Those snacks should just be small in portions and high in fiber and protein. Eating like this will prevent you from experiencing those "crashes" throughout the day and overeating. These are great tools to give you a platform and make you aware of your daily nutritional needs and simply create an awareness of eating healthy.

Joe's Jeans

These Joe's Jeans are my favorite. I do not condone their scandalous ads, so do not look at them. I stumbled upon these having tried on every kind of jeans known to man. This brand carries a cut called Provocateur which is perfect for "petites". They have a little stretch to them making them very comfortable. Typically, jeans are not comfortable to me. Thai Fisherman pants are comfortable, jeans are not. These are perfect to dress up or down and wash well- remember to wash inside out! They are a bit pricey, but I would rather have one great pair of jeans than two that I wasted money on because they shrink, don't fit well or quickly go out of style. I could have posted this Favorite Thing much earlier, but I have been working hard on my obliques to be able to post this shot.

Mally Bibs

The main reason for posting this is to show Natty's adorable face. But the bib is worth a review. This was a Nearly New find and was quickly discovered to be the greatest bib ever. It has as magnetic closure in the back, so there is none of that squeezing a snap you cannot see around your baby's neck or pulling their soft baby hair. Mally Bibs are made of leather and wash incredibly easily and are soft, reversible and cute. The magnetic closure allows you to store it on your fridge if you so desire. The easy clean up is much better than cloth bibs which only add to the piles of laundry. Thus, the bib is also environmentally friendly. They retail for around $32, but you would only need one and it will outlast messy eaters.

www.mallybibs.com

A Cooking Lesson from Mary Ann

Betty sent this to me. Apparently Mary Ann is off the island and living in Idaho. Why don't we always do it this way?

Knife Sets

Henckels Knives have been around for more than 275 years. Betty gave me a set as a housewarming present and I love them and use them all the time. You can invest as little or as much as you want in these. Given that I use them primarily to open a wedge of Gouda or puncture the wrapping of my crumbled goat cheese, I can't say that I am an expert on knives in the kitchen. But this set is all I could ever need. They slice tofu and open containers well! They wash well in the dishwasher and they stay sharp. There are a lot of other brands out there, but I highly recommend these. They are very well made and I trust they will last a very long time.

Billy Reid Clothing

I love Billy Reid Clothing. He is a designer from Florence, Alabama. His dressy-casual clothing has been described as "whiskey soaked". Take a look at his site for what he is all about. There are stores in Charleston, Nashville and elsewhere. Currently they are having a HUGE sale. 75% off! And Free Shipping. http://www.billyreid.com/

Kim, you will love this stuff!

Toothpaste

Yes, toothpaste. And one worthy of an entry at that. I like this stuff. It is priced in comparison with others. I love the cap. It is big and easy to screw on and off and much better than the usual tiny cap. It is not like I am arthritic or anything, but trust me, you will like the cap better too. I don't know if foaming is actual proof that a substance is actually cleaning, but it foams. I have no idea how to begin to promote good toothpaste without sounding like a Orbitz Gum commercial, words like "minty fresh" and "sparkling clean" all come to mind. But just trust me. Try it.

My Favorite Oatmeal- SALE

Amazon.com Special Offer

Save up to 30%. Save an additional 15% instantly when you purchase select McCann's products sold by Amazon.com. Enter code OATMEA98 at checkout. Plus, save an additional 15% when you combine this instant rebate with your Subscribe & Save order--bringing the total savings to 30%. Offer valid through March 31, 2009. Shop now.

Free Frozen Entree

Click the link below for a coupon for a free frozen entree:
http://www.kashi.com/picturehunt

Free Not So Bad Coffee