The Seaweed Powder

Karla walked into the little herb shop with only a simple curiosity. She was now surrounded by herbs, crystals, books and other items many religions would frown upon as unholy. She wondered why. After all, they were only items from Mother Nature and recipes meant for healing the body and soul. Nothing more. Yet it was forbidden and hushed by many. She smiled as she browsed a shelf full of various herbs and a seaweed powder that had caught her eye. Hmm.
Karla enjoyed sushi and wondered if this form of seaweed could be used as a delicious alternative in dishes that called for the ocean plant instead of for a bath. She knew its benefits, just as she knew many of the herbal items benefits that sat beside this one on the shelf. She decided this one was worth her visit and removed it from the shelf. Then she glanced at the healing crystals and other wondrous items before taking her purchase to the shop owner.
“You know, there is something very special about you. It called to you. I will not allow you to pay for the powder.” The owner smiled.
“What?” Karla asked, a little stunned at the owner’s offer.
“It is yours.” The owner said.
She looked down at the powder in her hand and stared at the label, then backed away from the counter. It couldn’t be. She must be seeing things. She blinked twice and shook her head as if it would clear up her vision, but the label had not changed. It still read, “Karla’s Seaweed Powder.”

No More Mr. Nice Santa and the Celebrity Christmas Sales

Catchy isn’t it? Or maybe it’s downright madness, but by golly Santa isn’t planning to play nice this year and the celebrities are having the time of their lives making christmas sales go through the roof. You can see them in their little elf hats, sprinkling just a bit of magic on their merchandise at the North Pole, while Jolly old Saint Nick is watching and snacking on cookies I might add, as cheerful holiday music fills the air and merchants everywhere cash in on the hottest item that will be left under the tree for all of the boys and girls whose parents  can afford it. Mind you it’s not their fault, but the media tells another tale.
Whatever happened to the simple things in life. The unspoiled child who is excited at the one little gift under the tree that was made with love and care, and won’t be complaining that there are no others. Or the family get-togethers, everyone from grandma and grandpa to aunt Dee Dee and uncle Buck, and cousin Ned. And what about Merry Christmas, not Merry Xmas or Happy Holidays? Times may be changing, but I say nay to Christmas in July, August and September and yes to family gatherings and homemade gifts from the heart. What about you?

The Motorhome

Sometimes it’s nice to take a road trip or two. It use to be that you could find a family somewhere on the road in the summer months on vacation. Now that society has tightened their belts and families are staying closer to home, I can’t find a single family who’s broke down somewhere on the road in need of motorhome repair.
It was my calling card, you know. To drive up to that family and offer my repair services even if they’d already called their own insurance company for help. Sometimes it worked, other times the father insisted they didn’t need my services. So I would have to wait until the right family came along.
Oh I know there are more than just families who travel the roads heading somewhere on vacation, but they almost always have family already who may miss them if they didn’t make it home. Families are already all together and very few people miss them. Oh there have been times when I have made a mistake and a lone relative stirs up trouble. But not this time my friend, not this time. I see that sweet ride  coming down the road and I am already ready for what is to come.

The Apothederm Skin Care Experiment Review

A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to try and to review a beauty skin care product line called Apothederm. I received their brightening cleanser to review.

First, I have to say if you have dry skin this product won’t hydrate it, but it also want dry it out.  When you cleanse with it, it does leave your skin feeling taught.
Now as far as whether or not it brightens, I cannot say because I was only able to use this product for a couple of weeks before I posted my review of it. I have not seen any results so far, however as I stated, I haven’t used it long enough to see any really results.  I am however, offering a before and after photo since I’ve been using the product.

I also want to Note:

• I have not used any other cleaning or facial products since I started using the Apothederm brightening cleanser product. I wanted to give the product a fair review.
• I washed my face with the cleanser, before bed, and when I woke up in the morning.
• Instead of using a washcloth, I used a facial buff.  Afterwards, I simply rinsed my face with warm water.
• I also have not worn any makeup since I began using this product.  As I said, I really wanted to get this product a fair review.

Here are my Before and After Photos:

If you’re interested in trying the Apothederm line of beauty skin care products for yourself, you can use this discount code: TENOFF (courtesy of Apothederm) and receive $10 off any product at: www.apothederm.com (expires 12/31/11).
I would love to hear some input from my readers. Would you give this product to try if given the chance?  Have you ever used this brightening cleanser or any form of brightener product on your face?  If so, did you see any results?
Disclosure Statement: Apotherm sent me their brightening cleanser to review.

Bacon Flavored Coffee Syrup and What this Insane Writer thinks about Torani!

Okay, here’s where I admit that I love Torani’s coffee flavors.  In fact, this family has been using them for quite some time.  But recently I was offered the chance to review a few of Torani’s flavors that just aren’t available around here in my neck of the woods of independence, Kansas.  South of course I had to jump at the chance and say heck yes!  My husband is already a fan of their French Vanilla flavor and we all love their caramel syrup.  However, because we live in such a small town we have limited choices on what we can purchase and those are the only two that we’ve been able to find here.  So when Torani and SheSpeaks sent us two new flavors we hadn’t tried we were ecstatic.  I received Torani’s salted caramel and gingerbread flavors to review.
Now I have to admit gingerbread isn’t my favorite flavor in anything, so I just had to try the salted caramel first.  And let me tell you it was fabulous! Even my husband and son love this flavor.  But to be fair I tried the gingerbread as well and wasn’t impressed.  I even got my husband and send to try it and they agreed it wasn’t great.  However, my stepdaughter is a fan of gingerbread, so I had her try this flavor and she didn’t like it either.  She said it had too much of a gingerbread flavor.  Maybe if we put it in a recipe for dessert it might be a lot better.  Who knows but we’ll give it a try.  But as far as the salted caramel syrup it’s great in coffee and tea both.
Now here’s why I really hate living in a small town.  Torani has so many coffee flavoring syrups that it’s almost insanely unreal!  I just discovered they have a peanut butter one!  And a chocolate one!  I can already see the great possibilities with these two!  Mmmm.  I’m just glad I can order those two flavors on their website at www.Torani.com.  In addition to my favorite flavors, they also have some unique ones that I’m not so sure would be good in anything.  For example they have a bacon flavored syrup!  Well, maybe this would be good in muffins? What do you think?





Enter the Promo Code: "shespeaks" when ordering at Torani.com to save 10%!

To HEELY or not to HEELY that is the question this Insane Writer wants to know, and my review of the shoes, of course

A few weeks ago I had the honor of receiving a pair of HEELYS.  If you are not familiar with HEELYS, they are tennis shoes that you can wheel around in when you use the included wheels that can be placed in the heels of the shoe. And when you’re not able to use the wheels they can be popped out with the included tool and replaced with their plugs for walking.
HEELYS are a little similar to Rollerblades, only you use your heel to glide around with. The shoes come in several different colors and as you can see from my photo I chose pink and black. The first time I tried them on I will be honest, they were a little difficult to get used to.

But what I didn’t know is that there’s actually a HEELYS Safety Playbook, which I think what has been really helpful had I had this knowledge when I first received my shoes.
However, I must say these are wonderful we have errands to run and don’t want to drive your vehicle to do so.  A great resource to help save our environment and make it a GREENER world! They’re also great when you just want to get out of the house on a nice day.
A few things I should note from my own experience with the HEELYS.  One being, it is very difficult to glide up a hill with these.  Also, be very careful going down hills until you get used to the shoes.  You can easily brake just by putting your foot down, but going down hill and suddenly braking can be a disaster unless you are very familiar with these shoes.
Also, I must caution that if you have bad ankles you’re probably better off not using these, or if you must have a pair, use extra caution when gliding around on these with bad ankles. With that being said, I did learn that there’s also a HEELYS General Guide to help get you started. In addition, here is a link to some General HEELYS Skating Info, which includes some how-to videos for using the shoes.

A few other things you might be interested in knowing, Heelys is throwing a Black Friday special!! Between Nov 25-Nov 28, Buy any pair of Heelys, get the second pair for $25. Or buy a Nano, and get a pair of shoes for $25, and get free ground shipping on all orders! This special would be great as a Christmas gift idea for loved one.  I know that when I got my HEELYS my stepdaughter was determined that she wanted mine and hasn’t let up on it since then.
Despite my few mishaps with this product, I am actually very happy with it.  I am looking forward to using them when the weather allows me to and I would recommend them to anyone who loves skating or would like to try something fun for simple exercise.
Disclosure Statement: HEELYS sent me a pair of their shoes to review.

My Review of New Chapter Perfect Calm and Perfect Energy Supplement, and a Giveaway!

A few weeks ago, I received a 5 day supply of Perfect Energy and and a 5 day supply of Perfect Calm courtesy of Best Price Nutrition, to review. This was a product review I couldn't wait to be a part of because my life has been nothing but stressful from one day to the next. However, to be fair, I had my husband review the Perfect Energy, while I reviewed the Perfect Calm. Here are our thoughts on the supplemental products.

My husband recently started a new job that required him to be awake early in the morning, something he hasn't had to do in years. Needless to say, the new hours made him very tired and he lacked the energy he needed to be productive at work. But, after a few days of taking the Perfect Energy, he said he was more alert and productive than he had been in years. However, after a few more days of taking the product supplement, my husband said his energy boost had warn off. Still, I noticed after his 5 day supply ran out, he was a lot more sluggish than he had been when he was taking the supplement.

When I started taking Perfect Calm, I didn't notice any immediate change. But, after about the 3rd day, I realized my stress level had gone down some and I was able to think more clearly. I found myself more relaxed in certain stressful situations. By day 5 I'd definitely noticed an improvement in how calm my mood had become. Now that I'm out of the Perfect Calm supplement, my stress level has gone up some again.

It's a sad day in this house with very little energy and a lot of stress, but all in all, my husband and I both have to agree, if given more time, Perfect Energy and Perfect Calm, could have the potential to help change the way your body reacts to life without all of the processed chemicals and yucky stuff you'll find in many vitamins and nutritional supplements.

And to help give you that opportunity, one lucky reader will get a full supply of Perfect Calm thanks to Best Price Nutrition, to help unwind life's stress, naturally. All you have to do is leave me a comment explaining why you want to win the Perfect Calm Product. I'll choose the winner based on the best answer given. So tell me about your life and don't forget to leave me an email address, so that I can contact you if you win!

Please Note: This contest ends October 5th at 10am CST. U.S Residence only please and you must be 18 or older to enter and win.

Want to know more about this product that I'm sharing with you today? Check out these two great video reviews from Best Price Nutrition for both Perfect Energy and Perfect Calm.

Joy Smith also known as The Insane Writer, is the author of the Sci-Fi novel, The Generation. You can email her at silent_beautie@yahoo.com She can also be found on Twitter @theinsanewriter.

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Years Ago

I'd never really thought about hair loss products for men until my dad decided years ago that he wanted to cover a bald spot. I don't know what made him decide to cover it, but I do remember he bought this can of powder spray to match the color of his hair. And I remember that stuff ended up all over the place, on his pillow, the couch, chair, etc. It was a temp fix and a big mess.

That was years ago however and since then, I'm sure products have changed, at least I certainly hope so!

Imagine That!

Last night a friend and I were discussing all of the walking we do at our job. On an average we probably walk at least 5 miles a day, if not more. And to be honest, it's the best weight loss product there is out on the market.

Imagine that, a product that doesn't cost you any money, doesn't involve swallowing chemicals, is all natural and can be done almost anywhere! Plus, it's not harmful to our environment! Imagine that!

Starting Over

A few days ago I noticed a new pimple forming and wondered why. Then, I thought about it and realized my diet hasn't been at it's best lately and was more than likely the reason I was having breakouts. I'm just glad I don't get blackheads or have to worry about needing a blackhead treatment product for my face.

Instead, I try to eat healthier and keep my face clean to control breakouts. Of course I'm a living example that it doesn't always work out that way. It just means you have to not give up and get right back on your feet again. Not always easy, I know, but it can be done. :)

Beauty Schmeauty

I've never really noticed that I have wrinkles around my eyes, therefore I never really thought I needed an eye wrinkle cream. And to be quite honest, I still don't. People who talk to me all of the time believe I am only 30, when *GASPS* I'm actually 35.

My mother actually had the same experience and even took hers as far as getting into movie theaters for a kids price when she was well into her teens.lol

So what do I do to look five years younger than I actually am? Not much, to again be honest. I slather on a moisturizer when I need it and make sure my face is clean on a daily basis, but that's about it. I don't fuss with eye creams or serums or other special beauty treatments. However, I have dabbled in anti-aging products in the past, but that's about it for me.

I keep things simple and don't deal with the out of control beauty routine. It's time consuming and isn't always worth the time or money!

Seventh Generation

More and more moms like myself have been going green when it comes to what we clean with. Some of us are choosing products as simple as vinegar and baking soda for our cleaning needs, while others are using greener products like Seventh Generation. and while we love the idea of a greener home to keep our kids safe, moms know that schools are no exception to a greener cleaner environment.

And just recently I was one of those mom's lucky enough to receive a Seventh Generation pack for my kids' school, thanks to Seventh Generation (of course!) and Myblogspark.

My package included, two containers of wipes for wiping down desks and counter-tops at school, a bottle of spray for even more cleaning and those bigger, messier jobs, a roll of paper towels to clean up spills quickly a box of tissues, which are always handy when the cold and flu season comes around and a carrying bag to hold all of the products with ease.

So what do the teachers think? Well, it's the very beginning of the school year here for us, so the messes have yet to really begin, but I'm very sure there will be no complaints about this great product when it is put to the test. Thank you Seventh Generation and Myblogspark!

Want to know more about Seventh Generation and germs? Check out this insane video!



Joy Smith also known as The Insane Writer, is the author of the Sci-Fi novel, The Generation. You can email her at silent_beautie@yahoo.com She can also be found on Twitter @theinsanewriter and you visit her official website at www.theinsanewriter.com.WomenFreebies.com - Enter to Win Royal Secret II Perfume

Free Vegan Beauty Products

I am always looking for new and delish products, so when WordVixen of Quest to Write, shared this contest on her blog and twitter, I just had to check it out. Yummy. Coffee and Kahlua lip balm... And it's Vegan! No animal fats. So very awesome. Plus there are soaps.... I love natural products.

But the real reason for this contest is because the government (don't you love that word!)is trying to pass a law that would put small beauty product companies out of business. How very nice of them! Want more info? Check out the Indie Business Blog.

If you want to enter the contest and help out a great cause, visit The Vegan Skincare Product Contest Link or check out the Vegan Skincare product page and get yourself some fabulous beauty products before the government says, NO! NO! NO!

Natural or Not.

Despite how many times dermatologists remind people to take good care of their skin, they often don't. Yes, there are some of us out there who are dedicated to keeping our skin looking healthy and beautiful, but what about those who really don't have the time.

And teenagers? They might have the time, but acne is a big issue when you're a teenager and most products that claim they work, don't.

So for those who do make it a point to keep their skin looking healthy and beautiful, what about the product? Does it make good on it's promises or do you end up pitching it in the garbage, eventually? Do you care if it's good for your skin or not? Does it have to be all natural? What about a natural acne treatment?

Would you consider it if you thought it might work and is better for your skin? What's your opinion on natural skin care products?

Oprah and Miracle Foods

A while back, Oprah Winfrey introduced Dr. Perricone and his 10 SuperFoods on her talk show. One of the items he mentioned was Lipovox, a weight loss aide.. Now in my opinion, I can't really see how a weight loss aide is a SuperFood. To me food is food, not diet pills. The interesting thing about this product is, not only does it allow you to lose weight, it also helps fight wrinkles and acne.

What is suppose to make this now popular product work is, the green tea extract and antioxidants that it contains. Hmm. I can't see myself taking a pill that promises to do all of those things. Personally I think the better way to lose weight and fight wrinkles and acne is naturally.

If you're interested, There is a website that contains a little more information about Lipovox and what it may or may not do for you.

A Classic Chevy Update

My husband has what will someday be considered a classic truck. Well, maybe... It's a 1979 GMC Chevy pickup. It's not only old in years however, it's also old as in shape. The truck is falling apart, yet he still drives it. It's his baby and he'll be keeping it for the rest of his life.

He knows that it's going to need to be re-built, inside and out...and when it's time to makeover his baby, he'll want only the best.

Wood Dash Expert Inc. offers custom Chevy grilles that will make his baby shine. Yep. Even for as old as my husband's truck is, Wood Dash Expert Inc. has it. Pretty cool. The price isn't too bad either. $175.00

Chevy isn't the only Make of Grilles that Wood Dash Expert Inc. has to offer. Check them out!

As I Age

I already have an overactive bladder, so I've often wondered if I will need a product like protective underwear. I hope I never need protective underwear when I get older, but if I ever do, it's nice to know there is a company like DME who can provide me with such a product.

They carry brands like Depend and even a few brands that are new to me. Their prices look reasonable as well. I wonder if this is something hospitals or nursing homes might be interesting in knowing more about.

I have seen protective underwear used in nursing homes, but I am pretty sure it's something that is purchased by the family and not the nursing homes themselves.

While protective underwear is a great idea, I like the idea of the pads better. Which by the way, DME does carry as well. Ohh and they have product samples, just in case you're not sure if the product you're interested is right for you. How cool is that?

Now if only they'd thought of a product like this years ago!!!