Paula’s Choice Clinical 1% Retinol Treatment

Ok, so this post is about why you should be a BzzAgent & Paula’s Choice Clinical 1% Retinol Treatment.  If you've never heard of either, hang in there...

BzzAgent is a great word-of-mouth marketing campaign site.  They work with different companies & create sampling campaigns to get the word out about products (think new food products, make-up, skincare, pet products, you name it). I lucked out & was able to get in on this campaign...when you are a forty-something, they love to send you anti-aging products! Anyway, if you like trying new products, sharing samples, & writing reviews; sign-up, it's free!

First off, if you've never used retinol, give it try - regardless of what brand, I think retinol is the most effective anti-ager/skin-improver out there.  If you have sensitive skin, maybe start slow & see how how your skin reacts - it's powerful stuff! Also, using a sunscreen during the day is a must to protect your skin while using retinol as it might also become more sensitive to the sun/leave you prone to burning. 

I am no expert, but it (retinol) works really well for me & Paula's Choice works really well for me too. After one use, my skin felt a lot smoother & softer the next morning.  I use it every few days & my skin looks clearer & brighter.  It's not a miracle...more of a super-hero, & again, it's powerful stuff  - you'll feel & see a difference.

Here's the great kit they sent me:

When I see this buzzer-sticker on a delivered box, I know it's good stuff!

True story:  I gave my Mom some samples & she already had Paula's Choice products lined up on her vanity.  She's a fan & needed no convincing from me (she did love the samples though!).

Even better?  These products are never tested on animals.  The 1% Retinol Treatment is also 100% fragrance- and colorant-free, with no added dyes or irritants.  If you'd like to give it a try, click here & use code PRRETINOL16 for 20% & free shipping.

Cheers,
S

Free samples & coupons sent to me from BzzAgent/I am a BzzAgent via Paula's Skincare (#GotItFree) - all opinions are my own. Affiliate links above.

Project Fi - 1st bill!

If you are curious about Project Fi/my last post - here's how my first bill turned out:

Works for me!

Cheers,
S

Project Fi

Last month, I jumped from my beloved cell phone carrier Republic Wireless (and yes, I actually loved them & still do) to Google's Project Fi.  I wrote about Republic back here & how much money I've saved with them over the past two plus years.  My bill was never over $30/month. 

So why mess with a good thing?

My phone was starting to die a slow death.  I could no longer update apps & it wasn't holding a charge like it could in the good ole days.  I try to keep phones for as long as possible, but it was time to move on. I really wish they could last forever - or, that I could stop taking so many pictures, listening to so many audio books...or that I was a super smart techie-person that could fix anything...

I researched changing out the battery myself, but it looked way more complicated than I thought I could handle (read: I would've cracked the phone).  I also knew I wanted/needed at least a 32gb phone (more storage, please!) & currently, Republic doesn't offer such fat cats. They are, however, getting a slew of awesome new phones this July - which is great, but a lot of them are super-pricey (why are phones so damn expensive?), so I looked back into Project Fi. 

For $229 (I know, still a lot of money, right? to me it is!) I chose the Nexus 5X.  I picked the N5X because the price was more on budget & it's smaller than the Nexus 6P. I have small hands & no real use for such a large-screened phone.  Right now, these two models are the only options available - or, you can bring our own Nexus into the plan.

M'new phone!
photo: androidcentral.com

Project Fi works a lot like Republic (you use wifi & can then crossover to a cell network) but Fi also encrypts your connection when you hook into wifi hot spots - how cool is that?!?  Because, sometimes, using wifi can be iffy for your personal info.

The best part?  My monthly bill, based on my usage, will still only be $30 or less per month.

Switching was quick & super easy & if you're going from an Android phone to an Android phone it's especially easy to transfer all your info, photos, music.  The only con I can see, so far, is that the Nexus has a newer/faster USB charger.  So, my old chargers don't work with it; I did buy these inexpensive adapters to help with the transition.  With my older phone, the charger worked with everything (like my Kindle) & I loved that - a new sized charger in the mix?  I don't love that so much.

All said, I definitely recommend both Project Fi & Republic; go with Republic if you want/need a broader selection of phones.  If needed, both offer pay-over-time options (Fi's is interest free) - if you are looking to save money each month - check them out!

Also, I just read that Google has expanded their cell coverage - yay!

Cheers,
S 

Affiliate link to my buds at Amazon above - thanks, as always for helping me keep the lights on!

Update: if you want to see how I did on my 1st bill, click here. 

#Orlando

Home Fri: Vol. 7

Paint!

Paint makes pretty much everything better.

Once upon time, this little make-shift table was built & secured to one of our backyard trees.  The previous owners also had a hammock right next to it; we really need to get one too as the secures are still there...soon! But, said little tree side-table was looking sad. We use our deck a lot & this little table is in our sight line, so it needed some love.

Here's the before:

Yep!

After a good brush down & a quick scan of our basement for leftover paint (read: free), I went to work.  

More love to our previous owners:  they left & labeled all the paint colors they used throughout the house - how nice is that!?!  

My pick:

It's an interior paint, but for this gig, perfection is not the end goal.

Pretty = the end goal.

I also added a little stencil:

From this cute book I picked up at an Urban Outfitters clearance rack years ago:

You can also find it Here  (yes, you know I love my Amazon affiliate links; thanks, as always, for the support).

I then spray painted the whole thing down with clear sealer.

And for some greenage, I scoured the front yard (also read: free) - we have lots of hearty Lamb's Ear:

When it blooms, it looks like this:

Much better:

Overall, it made me feel like this:

Later, I checked on the plants & found out squirrels must like paint (because #nature) - still love it though:

And, that's a wrap!

Cheers,
S

ps:  gratuitous pet shot:

Redbook Red Box Beauty Edition

Honestly, I am not sure how I lucked out on this one...

But, a couple of weeks ago, I got this cute package in the mail from Redbook magazine:

And it contained all of this goodness!

To break it down:

full-size!

 full-size!

not full-sized, but a very nice sample size!

and a sample trio


What I love the most is that I will use/have used all of these products.  No meh-products here!


Again, not sure how I was able to score this box.  I am a Redbook subscriber (but, am pretty sure my subscription was free via Mercury or Value Mags); they may have sent me a survey & I was entered win?  

Go fig.

Anyway, the point of this post? It often pays to engage with magazine insider panels.  See here for other examples; I reference Glamour mag & Marie Claire but most of your favorite magazines have insider panels which are free to join & sometimes, you don't even have to be a subscriber to the magazine.  e-Rewards is also a great site to join if you love getting free magazines (or newspapers, gift cards, discounts).  Also, Boden (love Boden!) will sometimes also include a free subscription to a magazine with your order - how nice is that?


Have a great one!


Cheers,
S

Blog Stalking: Vol 1

One of my biggest hobbies is reading & I love reading blogs! 

The wealth of information & inspiration they provide me with daily is priceless & fun.  I use Feedly to follow all the blogs I follow & use it so much that I pay for the premium version (I use it enough that the search "saved for later" function is worth it to me).  I've also read great things about Bloglovin'.

I am going to try & recap, weekly, some various things I've read & hope it will inspire you to discover some new blogs too.

So, here we go:

Why I Bought a Chromebook Instead of Mac  In this day & age, I really don't think you need to spend tons of dinero on tech.  I am writing this from my Chromebox that cost me under $300.00.  I saved all last year to buy a new, beautiful, Mac all-in-one & when it came time to pull the trigger, I just couldn't justify the expense.  I was able to buy the Chromebox & a small, convertible, touch-screen Chromebook (+ extra memory) & still have a huge chunk of my savings left  - for me, it was a win, win, win.  Now, if someone gives me a gorgeous Mac, I won't push it away. :-)

Props to a local love - Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Made a Viral Music video, and It's Adorable

My Friend Fed my Daughter when She Couldn't Feed Hers Tears here.  Lots of tears.  It's just beautiful.  

On a lighter note, Rainbow Rowell is one of my favorite authors (I have two of her books on my reading list) & here's her favorite ice cream.  Because it's Summer, ya'll & this is important information!

I need this coffee in my life.  Because, again, it's Summer &...iced coffee!

Pimento cheese is a very southern thing (one of my favorite southern things) & recipes vary & can get very personal.  I want to try this recipe & agree that it should be put on everything!

And to stay in the world of cheesy dips (if only!):  This one looks great to try too.

Have a Happy Sunday!

Cheers,
S