Co-Op Chronicles: Ladybug Repellent

      So I've changed the name of my little housewarming series of posts to Co-op Chronicles, simply because I like the name better.

   This post is about an incredibly boring topic: insect repellent.  When I moved in to my place I realized there seemed to be quite a collection of ladybugs on my living room and bedroom windows.  Ladybugs are not necessarily a pest or something for me to be scared of, but I hate bugs, any bugs so these ladybugs had to go.

  I started googling natural ways to repel ladybugs and came across Camphor Oil.  Camphor oil has a multitude of uses and benefits including:
-facilitating digestion and blood circulation
-relieving spasms/cramps
-curing gas trouble
-relieving congestion
-disinfectant
-germicide
-insecticide
-reduces nervous disorders
-boosts libido
-cures erectile dysfunction
……and repels ladybugs!

I saw several different ways to use Camphor Oil to get rid of ladybugs and I decided to soak a few cotton pads with about 20-25 drops of oil and stick them in the corners of my window frames.  I wore gloves to do this, just in case.  I'm just beginning to learn about essential oils and I'm not sure which need to be used with carrier oils or are dangerous to to the touch or whatever.

I have 4 windows where I have spotted a ladybug or 2, and to test this out I put the cotton pads in 3 of my 4 windows.  I knew this weekend would be a great weekend to test this out, as it was going to be very warm, and the warmth attracts ladybugs.

Since I have put my 2 Camphor Oil pads in each window, I have not seen a single ladybug.  In the window where I didn't put the pads, I saw 3 this weekend.  So far, this has been a great success.

Camphor oil is pretty cheap ($3-$6) for a hefty sized jar, so if you have a ladybug problem (or according to my research other pests as well) give Camphor Oil a try.

This oil has completely peaked my interest in essential oils.  I ended up ordering an introductory type kit from Young Living as my friend is always talking about all the different way she uses her oils.  I can't wait to get my kit and try them all out.

Dollar Shave Club Review

  Every now and then I get into a good roll with couponing, but more often than not I use a coupon or two to buy something I really need and then pay full price on everything else.  One item that I loathed spending so much money on was razors!  Razors and cartridges are so insanely over priced.

  I decided to look into some of the the online razor subscription services and heard really good things about Dollar Shave Club.  It was difficult to find a lot of reviews written by women, but considering I tend to prefer men's razors anyway I decided to give it a try.

  For my first month I decided to try "The Executive" which is their most expensive razor at $9.  $9 includes the razor handle, 4 cartridges, a sample of one of their shave products and shipping.  I find that to be an awesome deal!

  I received my first shipment 3 days after ordering it. The packaging was well done but considering my legs needed some TLC I quickly opened it.  It was packaged beautifully and the handle itself reminds me of a Shick Hydro 5.  The razor blades themselves have 6 blades, which if you look for 6 blade razor blades in the drugstore, the price tag can be well over $15.

  I personally use this razor for my legs, armpits and upper thighs.  It worked beautifully on all 3 of these areas, and I can also see it working well for the bikini area as well, but I get that area waxed.  This razor provides a nice smooth shave and I don't have to go over any area more than once, which is awesome.  Unfortunately, no matter what razor I use my hair grows back quite quickly, but this gave me smooth legs until my next shower/shave the following evening.

   Since I only use this on those few areas I am thinking of trying out the $6 razor, The 4X, which has 4 blades and a pivoting head.  If I was shaving my bikini area I may stick to The Executive, but for my legs and armpits I am going to try The 4X and then I will be able to compare the two.

   Another feature about The Dollar Shave Club that I love is their referral program.  For every person who uses your link to sign up, you get a $5 credit to apply towards your subscription or your purchase of one of their products.  My boyfriend signed up shortly after I did using my link so my April box will cost me only a $1!  If you are interested in giving this subscription service a try, please consider using my link!  Then after you sign up, use your link to get your loved ones to sign up.

Would you be willing to give a razor subscription service a try?

Book Review: Love, Lashes and Lipstick by Mally Roncal

    I don't know about you, but when I can't find anything on tv I automatically turn on QVC or HSN.  I've purchased quite a few things from both networks, but I must say I prefer QVC.  One of the biggest reasons why I prefer QVC is because of Mally and Mally Beauty.  If you have never watched Mally, I urge you to find out when she is on QVC next and sit back and enjoy.

    Mally is adorably happy and confident and gorgeous.  Her makeup line is fantastic and she is the makeup artist to some big stars, including Beyonce.  When I found out that she wrote a book I automatically snatched it up from my library.

   Mally's book, Love, Lashes and Lipstick: My Secrets for a Gorgeous, Happy Life, is part self-help book, part autobiography and part makeup book.  It's a very quick read and a book that I must say actually made me happy reading it.

  Mally, whose real name is Melissa (more of a reason for me to love her), tells her life story including the death of her mother from breast cancer.  She tells how her mother knew she was going to die so squeezed a lifetime full of memories into a few short years.  I must admit, I cried while reading some of this chapter.  Some people can be very bitter about suffering such a loss in their life, but Mally used it to create something beautiful in her life, which is very admirable.

   Mally also shares stories about her start in the makeup industry.  She stresses the fact that no job is too small and to say yes to everything.  You never know when a small opportunity can lead to a big one, or if you can meet someone life changing (she met her husband on a list minute shoot) by just saying yes.

   Dispersed throughout the book are pages with makeup tips and tricks.  There were a few that I really liked.

The first makeup tip I liked (and already started using) is the "starburst" mascara tip.  When I normally put mascara on I bring the wand towards the outer edge of my eye, giving a cat eye like effect to my lashes.  Mally says to bring the lashes towards the bridge of your nose which gives your eyes a more open eyed effect.  I've been doing this and I really like the result!  Especially under my glasses and with tired eyes, this does help my eyes look a bit more awake.

The second tip I really liked is her natural eyeliner tip, which it turns out is a tip I've been using for quite a while.  Mally says to use a darker liner on your top lash line and a lighter shade on your lower lash line.  This gives a more natural look and also helps cut down on such a stark contrast on your under eye.  For my daily use I prefer using an espresso brown on top and a bronze on bottom.

All in all, I must say I really enjoyed this book and I think next time I see Mally on QVC I will enjoy watching her even more.  

Have you ever used any of Mally's products or watched her on QVC? 

Style Sunday: Warby Parker Review

    I am blind as a bat.  My vision has always been horrible and is continually getting worse.  When I go to buy glasses I usually can't spend less than a couple hundred due to the severity of my prescription.  When I started seeing all of these glasses websites pop up on the web advertising super cheap prices, I had to jump on the bandwagon.
 
      I've already done a review on one of these sites, called Firmoo.com, here.  However, I kept hearing raves about Warby Parker.  What I liked about Warby Parker was that you could pick out five frames to be sent to you to try on at home.  This is a brilliant idea as you can really play around with the different frames and get family and friends opinion.  Oh, did I also mention a complete pair of prescription glasses is $95??!!!

   I was so excited when I got my frames and couldn't wait to photograph them to see how they truly looked.

                                                                  Wilkie Greystone

Nedwin Summer Green

Langston Whiskey

Ramsay Jet Silver

Welty Plum Marblewood

    I was super impressed with the quality of all of these glasses.  Even the rimless glasses had some heft to them and were not flimsy by any means.  I also love the try on at home option.  It was fun to take pictures in them, try them on with different hair and makeup styles and got the input of my family and friends.  I also love that Warby Parker donates a pair of glasses to someone in need- what an amazing thing!

So, which pair did I pick?

The WILKIE GREYSTONE!

    I am absolutely in love with these glasses!  They fit perfectly and give me just enough of the nerdy/chic look.  

   The process of ordering them was quite easy as well.  I didn't have an exact copy of my prescription so I provided Warby Parker with my eye doctor's information and they called him to get my information.  I would say it took about 11 days from the time I ordered until the time I got my glasses.  I think mine took a bit longer than usual due to the fact that they had trouble contacting my eye doctor.  They come packaged beautifully with a hard case and soft pouch as well as a cleaning cloth.  You also have 30 days to return them in case you aren't in love with them.

    I will only be purchasing my glasses from Warby Parker from now on.  My one and only complaint? My prescription is SO bad that they can't do it for sunglasses.  I don't understand the science behind it, but they are unable to do it with the glass that they use.  So I will still have to spend hundreds on my prescription sunnies. :(

   Have you ever ordered glasses online?  Do you agree with my frames decision? 

Book Review: The Everygirl's Guide to Life

   One of the books on my summer reading list was, The EveryGirl's Guide to Life, by Maria Menounos.  I ended up borrowing it from my library because I tend to like non-fiction books to be real books as opposed to ebooks.

       I've never really watched a whole lot of Maria Menounos on tv, but I like her personality and I'm really a sucker for any girly self-helpy type of book.  This book was a fun read and actually was full of great tips and tricks.

Here are some of my favorite tidbits from the book:

*Maria stresses the importance of having a regular cleaning schedule.  This way when guests are coming over you won't have to do a deep cleaning, things will already be spic and span.

*She recommends setting up a "black book" otherwise known as a home management binder.  As I begin condo shopping I think this will be very helpful, and I'll be setting it up more or less like this.

*Every New Year's Eve she writes out her resolutions and the steps to get them.  She then posts the goals and steps to obtain them in a very visible place.  I know we all have resolutions, but seeing the steps to get them everyday may act as a gentle reminder.

*This is a great tip for when dressing for a night out or when you know you are going to have your picture taken: take a flash photo of your outfit to make sure nothing shows up sheer or see through on camera!

*Maria emphasizes the importance of meditation in her life.  I have never once given thought to meditation, but as a frequent sufferer of anxiety and migraines, I will be looking into this.  I didn't know meditation has been proven to lessen severity of migraines.

*A tip I've never heard to help with a minor panic/anxiety attack is to use a hot water bottle wrapped in a towel placed on your chest.  The weight and the warmth of the bottle is supposed to be soothing.

*In a world where the economy still sucks, making connections is super important.  Maria recommends keeping a little notebook to collect business cards.  Glue the business card in and jot down a few notes as to how you know the person and what you may have chatted about.  It's a great resource to have.



All in all, I have to say I really enjoyed this book.  It had quite a few makeup and hair tips that were new to me, great advice on how to design your dream home on a budget, some lazy girl workouts and great recipes.  This is a book that I wouldn't mind having on my bookshelf to take out every now and then for inspiration or to use as a reference.

Are you a Maria Menounous fan?  Would you read this book?

Fitspiration Review: The Eat Clean Diet Recharged

   I think everyone's New Year's Resolution is to be a healthier individual.  This year I've actually been able to make that positive change in my life.  For the first time in my life I have an exercise routine that involves working out on most days (I even wake up a half hour earlier to squeeze in a mini morning work out) and have been eating healthier than I ever have.
  Now don't get me wrong, my diet still needs A LOT of help, but I've made significant progress in eating healthier and consuming less calories on a regular basis.  As I started doing research on changing my dietary habits the term "Clean Eating" kept coming up.  After doing some further research on Clean Eating I was introduced to Tosca Reno.
  Tosca Reno is a clean eating activist and author.  She has published quite a few books on the topic and her website is an amazing resource (and free!).
   I purchased one of her books, The Eat Clean Diet Recharged, from Amazon and have read it cover and to cover and refer to it quite frequently.




Here's my review on her book and on her take of the Clean Eating Lifestyle.

-Tosca is all about the eating more frequently trend.  Mini-meals as opposed to the standard breakfast, lunch and dinner is a core principle of Clean Eating.  (My lifestyle at the moment just doesn't cater to this idea)

-Her take on clean eating I find to be very strict.  For instance, I just can't take my coffee black every day and I'm not going to purchase bee pollen to use in my cereals.

-The structured eating plans provided in the back of the book are super helpful.  It gives you a breakdown of the size of meals you should be eating if you are able to follow the mini meal plan.  If you aren't able to, it still is able to give you A LOT of ideas of what a clean eating day looks like.

-There are a lot of helpful tips throughout the book- which foods are important to buy organic, restaurant survival guides, how to incorporate super foods into your everyday diet and how certain foods can help in our physical appearance.

Would I recommend the book?: I wouldn't purchase this book, maybe borrow it from the library.  I've browsed through the cheaper version, The Clean Eating Diet: Just the Rules and I wish that was the book I would've purchased as it's just a condensed version of my book.  If you don't want to read her book I would SERIOUSLY recommend her website.  The site is amazing and has some fabulous recipes.

Would I recommend the clean eating lifestyle?: I have definitely implemented some of the principals of clean eating into my every day life.  I eat a considerable more amount of whole foods (foods from the earth) and make a conscientious effort to look more into what goes into my food.  I just find it super difficult to follow the lifestyle strictly as I love me some Starbucks and Reeses!

I LOVE reading books on fitness, nutrition, health, etc.  Any recommendations?

Review: Conair Jumbo Hot Rollers

   I love the look of va-va-voom hair.  I usually have to utilize heat to get the voluminous hair I desire and not teasing, because teasing and my hair and my hand just don't combine!  Since I suck at being able to do my own at home blowout, I purchased a set of jumbo hot rollers quite a while ago to achieve my va-va-voom hair.

I purchased this set of Conair Jumbo Hot Rollers from Amazon about  a year ago.  When I purchased these rollers, it didn't include the claw clips that the set includes now.  I purchased those on my own because I prefer the clips that go all the way around the roller.  This set includes only two size rollers- 4 super jumbo rollers and 8 medium to large size rollers.

On to my review:

My major complaint with these rollers is that I don't feel they get hot enough.  I've seen YouTube review of this product and the girls seem to be almost burning their fingers because the rollers are so hot and I'm able to hold them no problem.  I'm assuming this is a problem with just my set and not with all of them.

Due to the fact that my rollers don't get hot enough, I don't feel like I'm getting the best results from this set.  My friend Mamita explained that it may be the way I roll them which is preventing me from getting the most volume at the roots, so she needs to come give me a lesson soon!

Now some pics:

When you initially look at the set of the rollers, you may not think there is enough for your entire head, but I have a lot of hair and the 12 rollers fit on my head perfectly.  I definitely recommend using these types of clips for ANY hot rollers that you may use.

As you an see the rollers do give my hair a lot of movement, but not a whole lot of lift!  

Pros:

*Very affordable

*Gives straight hair great movement

*Available to purchase at a lot of different stores

Cons:

-Doesn't get hot enough

-Doesn't provide a lot of volume at roots

Would I repurchase?: Unless I realize I'm doing something wrong and these rollers give me some volume, probably not.

If you have any recommendations as to how to use these to get more volume at the roots, it would be greatly appreciated!!

Also, what's your favorite method to getting volume at the roots? I'm willing to try anything!