Quick Note

So, you'd think that not having a job would give me all sorts of time to come and blog... and then you look at the blog and see the last entry was February.  And now it's APRIL.   Yeah... about that...

I spend more hours than I care to think about looking for work.  And then more hours beyond that taking care of all of the rest of the things that happen just as a result of living life.  That certainly doesn't excuse my absence here, but it's a little explanation.

Also, I try not to blog if I don't have something interesting to say... I figure y'all don't want to hear about my job hunting and since that's sortve what has gobbled up my brain lately, well, there you have the lack of posting here.

Hopefully, though, I will be a little more active now that Spring is here.  I have things to occupy my brain like planting tomatoes and things of that nature.

I am learning to oil paint and working on drawing and trying to become more fluent in Spanish.  So, there have been things going on that have not directly related to the job search and maybe I should be writing about those things.

At any rate, I've missed you and I'll try to check in more often!

L'Oréal Paris Magic Skin Beautifier BB Cream Review

I do not normally wear much makeup.  However, since I have been job hunting lately, it's been more necessary.  I was excited to have the chance, thanks to SheSpeaks, to get to try L'Oréal Paris Magic Skin Beautifier BB Cream.  

I have some issues with foundation makeup sometimes, I'm pretty pale so finding something that matches my skin tone and doesn't make me look orange is sometimes a challenge.  I wasn't sure what to expect from the BB Cream, but decided to try some one day when I was getting ready for an interview. I honestly didn't have very high hopes, but I was impressed. Not only did the color (Fair) not look too dark on my skin, but I didn't run into a problem with it clumping or flaking as so often happens with foundation makeup on my skin. The BB Cream gave me the sheer coverage needed to create a natural bare skin finish, while delivering built-in skincare benefits. It primes and smoothes, perfects to hide flaws, hydrates all-day, and corrects and evens skin.  I brushed a bit of mineral makeup over it and headed out to my interview.  A quick check in the car mirror pre-interview showed that my face still looked great.

I'm still waiting to hear about the job, but I can tell you that the BB Cream did help me to feel confident that I was putting my best face forward (pun intended) and I've used it for a couple of other interview situations, as well.  It evens my skin color and texture better than mineral makeup alone and I've had no issues with breaking out when using it nor is it difficult to wash off at the end of the day.

L'Oréal Paris Magic BB Cream retails for $10.95 for 1 fl oz. It is available in four shades. I was a little worried when it came out of the tube looking white, but it blended really well with my skin and was very lightweight and very easy to apply/blend.  It doesn't take much of the product to get good, even coverage.

I would recommend L'Oréal Paris Magic BB Cream! Thanks to SheSpeaks for the opportunity to try this wonderful product!

Disclosure: I received a complimentary product from SheSpeaks/L'Oréal to facilitate this review. All opinions about the product are my own.

2013

Ok, I'll admit it... 2012 did not turn out to be the best year in terms of keeping up with the ol' blog here.  I'm not going to make excuses, it's in the past now and I'm looking (and moving) forward.

I have a couple of plans to make this year better in terms of getting posts here more regularly. So even though I am not a resolution maker, I do want to try to hold myself accountable for getting things here more often.  I also have a couple of ideas brewing, so we'll see how things end up working out.

I am also hoping to do some more giveaways this year... so there's that to look forward to, as well.

This is going to be short, I just wanted to check in and start the year off right! Hope y'all had a safe New Year's Eve and I hope that, so far, 2013 has been good to you!

CrossWorlds Cafe Welcomes Author Rodney Lacroix!

If you've spent much time wandering around the blogosphere, you've likely run across my guest today at the CrossWorlds Cafe before...You may know him as the Midget Man of Steel, author of the Mental Poo blog or as @moooooog35 on twitter (and in finer blog comments everywhere!) When I heard that The Bloggess had given his book 'Things Go Wrong for Me' a fabulous review, I jumped at the chance to interview the man. 

 Welcome to the CrossWorld's Cafe, Rodney. It's nice to have some company! Let the questioning begin! 

Alura: When you write blog entries now, are you finding yourself thinking about how it would translate to book form? Put another way, has writing the book changed the way you blog? 

Rodney: No. About the only thing that has changed the way I blog is work, which tends to get in the way. Luckily, they don't really expect that much from me around here (please note this was written at 2 in the afternoon at my desk on a Wednesday) so it's not that big of a stretch. What I HAVE changed is how much I want to do more WRITING for the blog and be less dependent on the visuals. The visuals are what sets me apart, to be sure, but I think the most fun I had with the book was in writing the introductions to each chapter. Just off-the-cuff writing and it's what I'm best at. 

Alura: It's always fun when you blog about the things your kids say and do. Do your kids read your blog? If not, do you think they'd be freaked out about knowing that people get to read stories about them? 

Rodney: Oh, no. No they don't read it. The language and pictures on there are in no way appropriate for 12 and 9 year olds. They DO, however, know that I write about them and have seen some of the posts. They have also helped me make a lot of the videos that you'll find on my YouTube Channel (youtube.com/moooooog35) and we have a TON of fun doing them. My kids are totally funnier than me and it's my job to make sure they don't know that. Captain of the ship, and all.

Alura:  Now that you've gotten the first book written and published, can we look forward to more?

Rodney: This book was categorized into parenting/dating type things. It actually takes you into 2010 where I start dating again after my divorce. Some of the stories involving my girlfriend (SORRY LADIES!) are even more current than that, but don't particularly need the date context. "Axe for Men" stories are timeless.

That said, yes. You can plan on some sequels. There will be pets involved. I've said too much.

Alura: So, will your post-divorce apartment experiences end up a book of their own?

Rodney:  OMG there are SO MANY of those that, yes, I can see the post-divorce chronicles being their own pseudo-book. Such Hell. The only thing I miss about my apartment is that I paid less than half of what I pay in a mortgage now. However, I don't have to listen to people screaming at 3 am in languages I've never heard of so it's kind of a wash.

Alura:  Are there any topics that you would not discuss in your blog? 

Rodney:  There ARE a couple of personal family things that are - currently - off limits to the public. Some of these questions may get raised as you're reading the book and thinking, "Hmmm...I wonder what the back story on THAT is."

I'm also starting to be more cognizant that my kids are now older and - well - they have Internet access. I try to do my best to embarrass the shit out of them when we're all out, but having stuff WRITTEN that OTHER kids can bust them on? Not cool. That's why most - if not all - of the stories involving my kids are from when they are at a pretty early age or are just funny in general. Other than that, I think I need to start getting their permission to write shit. Ugh.

Alura:  So, I have to ask at least one tough question (and hope it isn't too much of a book spoiler!)  If you had to choose one of the following events to live through again, would you rather relive the Post Ex-Lax Bike Ride or your Vasectomy?

Rodney:  Vasectomy. Totally.

At least with the vasectomy, I know I'll never get someone pregnant. With the Ex-Lax story, there's no guarantee that it will be the very last time I shit my pants.

Alura:  Where can my readers get your book? 

Rodney: They can click on the links below - lots of options!

http://bit.ly/UIgJBw - Barnes & Noble (paper only, no Nook version available)

http://bit.ly/12o6h8N - Amazon
http://bit.ly/ZpoiVk - Kindle

Alura: Rodney also has a Zazzle Shop, so you can get yourself some cool gear!  And if you like to snack when you read, you should check out his cookies available through Bitter Baking Company!

Thanks for stopping by the CrossWorld's Cafe, Rodney... Please come back!  I'll bet there will be interesting stories to tell if you do a book tour!

Torani brings flavor to the Holidays (and EVERY day!)

Torani makes the holidays tastier! In fact, Torani makes EVERY day tastier! I was fortunate to receive Torani syrups from SheSpeaks. I got Hazelnut and Gingerbread to try!

Experimenting with the Torani has been a lot of fun, and the holidays present even more opportunities to use Torani syrups to make festive beverages... Hot Cocoa, Coffee and even Eggnog can be spiced up with Torani. There are so many potential combinations and so many fabulous Torani flavors and if you are at home using the Torani syrups, you're in control of your beverage. If you always feel that your favorite coffee shop is too heavy handed with the syrup or that they don't add enough, you can experiment and find "the zone" that tingles your tastebuds. Plus, you can add a little zip to your holiday foods with Torani, as well. A little dash of Torani syrup mixed into frosting or whipped topping can change the whole flavor and be an unexpected pleasant surprise for your holiday guests. A little Torani gingerbread syrup mixed into your morning waffle batter? Divine!

Torani syrups come in a variety of flavors and several of the flavors come in sugar-free, as well. And Torani isn't JUST for hot drinks. You can make Italian sodas, cocktails, iced tea & lemonade or, one of my favorites, Cherry Limeade!

The key is to be bold! Experiment! Find new flavors. If you've always felt your favorite beverage could use "a little something", there is probably a Torani syrup that will make it better!

You can find Torani in many stores and if you can't find it near you, just hit Torani's website and order directly from them!

Also, there's a coupon for $1.00 off here, so go and print it!  Then go get some Torani and let me know what you created!

Disclosure: I was not financially compensated for this post. I received a sample of the product for review purposes. The opinions are my own, based on my personal experience with the product.

Do you know somebody who drinks coffee?

"Do you know somebody who drinks coffee?"  That was how the conversation started.  I was leaving a job fair and was approached by a young man who asked me the question.  I love coffee and so we started chatting. By the time we got to the parking lot, I had a sample pack in my hands.

I made myself a cup the next morning.  I am not normally a fan of instant coffee. It's usually bitter. I gave it a sip with nothing in it, just so I could fairly evaluate it.  It was pretty darn tasty.  With creamer it was a darn good cup of coffee! (I imagine if I drank coffee with no creamer on the regular, it would have been fine without the creamer).

As I sipped my coffee, I went to check out the website. (The packet I'd gotten conveniently had a label with the website on it... good marketing!)

The product is Organo Gold.  They have several types of coffee. I've tried the Gourmet Cafe Noir and the Gourmet Cafe Latte.  In fact, I used the Cafe Noir in a tiramisu (since I didn't have espresso on hand) and it worked quite well.

There is a whole business model behind the Organo Gold products and I can't speak to that. If you'd like more information about that, click on the link here.  I've been a part of enough similar business models to know that it isn't something I am successful at, but that doesn't mean that you shouldn't try it if you're interested.

I am actually way behind in making this post... I had thought of doing a giveaway but things have been absolutely nuts (as evidenced by the fact it's been AGES since my last post) but I do have some samples and would be happy to share them.  If you leave a meaningful comment about something you learned from the Organo Gold website (something more than "I want to try it") and are one of the first 6 (six) people to comment AND email me your shipping address (US Only, folks... sorry to any international readers), I'll get a sample in the mail to you.


Disclosure: I was not financially compensated for this post. I received a sample of the product for review purposes. The opinions are my own, based on my personal experience with the product.

Short Insomniac Ramble

And then I blinked and it was October!  In fact, MID October.  So very not cool. (At least from the perspective of someone who had a lot of things cooking in September).

The bad news is that I am still looking for a job.  Which means my time is still very much spoken for, as that absolutely must be my #1 focus.  It takes more hours of the week than you can imagine (unless you are currently in the throes of job-hunting).  Frustration is high.  Progress is minimal.  When you dread sitting down to your computer in the morning because you don't know what you're going to find in your inbox (another rejection? a carefully crafted email that got bounced back to you? someone else who wants money?) you know that it is well past time to get back to the working world.

I don't want to go into it too much here... this is a public forum... but the frustration level I am experiencing is really off the charts.  And a little touch of common courtesy would be a huge help.... but it is not forthcoming.

So, assuming things stay at the "up to my armpits in alligators" state that they are in now, I am not sure when I am going to be able to get things moving forward.  But I do know that November is National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) and so November is going to be crazy busy.

Hope you are all faring well and things are going as smoothly as possible.