Wrinkles? A Temporary Fix

It's rare that I try a "wrinkle-remover" product, or really any product that affects my complexion since the skin on my face is extremely sensitive and prone to what some doctors have called dermatitis and others have referred to as eczema. However, I've read so very much about Dr. Patricia Wexler and what a marvel she is where skincare is concerned that I decided it was worth a chance. While I am going to give some of her other products a whirl, I decided to try her Advanced No-Injection Wrinkle Smoother first since I had just washed my face (with my Purpose soap) and you are supposed to apply it before moisturizer (my regular Aveeno lotion). Guess what? It works. The little lines (well, maybe one is not so little) at the top of my lips virtually disappeared once my makeup was on, and my face did look smoother. Of course, by the end of the day, I had a scattering of little "bumps", the kind that have been referred to as dermatitis. But that's me. Super-sensitive. And I am going to try it again to make sure I can attribute the bumps to Wexler's formula and not heat rash from spending a good part of the day in the pool with the temperature in the upper 90's (30SPF facial sunblock from Clinique and a hat, but it was hot). I bought the Wexler products at the Bath and Body Works online. I can't wait to try the lip plumper!

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Just Say No! Good, Good Water

Yes, it has been a while - but business has been keeping me busy. The latest news? I've given up Diet Coke!!!
What's so special about this? When you consider that I drank probably over a liter of it a day, giving it up is probably a good idea just because drinking over a liter of anything but water probably isn't very good for you. And with chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia, the reports concerning the negative effects of drinking the stuff just finally got to me.
So, I have gone Coca-Cola free for over a month now. Do I feel better? I have to answer "yes". I probably will drink a diet Coke now and again, but when I give something up, I have to go "cold turkey" for quite a while. Meanwhile, I've found some good replacements, and number one among them is Dasani's flavoured water, or as they refer to it, "Vitamin Enhanced Flavored Water Beverage". The kiwi-strawberry flavour is as delicious and refreshing as anything I've ever tasted. I don't have more than one per day however, and not every day. Other than that, I'm drinking iced tea without sugar or with Splenda added.
Oh, and the Coca-Cola company! I'm still supporting them by drinking Dasani (and therefore also Emory University, my son's alma mater and a recipient of Coke's generosity) since Dasani is put out by the Coca-Cola company.
Now, all those plastic bottles....I'm thinking we should return to recyclable glass!

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Ah... Summer Vegetables

I live in the South - that is, the southern part of the United States, so eating vegetables in the summer is a joy. If vegetables tasted like this in the winter, I would be one happy camper, and probably have few problems keeping to a sensible diet. Another wonderful thing about summer and vegetables is that the vegetables and fruits are usually cheaper now.

What wonderful things should you be eating?

Cucumbers: marinate them in apple cider vinegar with onions. Or make cucumber soup with unflavored yoghurt (also good for you), a bit of sour cream (use the low fat) and onions. A quick favorite I never get tired of: cucumber sandwiches. Make them with very thinly sliced low calorie bread, low-fat mayonnaise and fat free cream cheese.

Tomatoes: full of all kinds of vitamins and good stuff: make my BLT by using the same low-fat mayonnaise, thinly sliced bread, lettuce, tomato, and use VEGGIE bacon. Protein, low-fat, low-cholesterol, these are great.

Strawberries: put them in a smoothie or eat them plain. If you have to have something a bit sweet with them, do NOT douse them with sugar. Instead, serve them the way I always did for my nephew: slice them into halves and eat them with an oyster fork with a ramekin of sugar in front of you. Lightly touch each bite with sugar before you eat it. I'll guarantee you'll savour each bite, get the full flavor of the strawberry still, and eat much less sugar than you would if you mixed it in a bowl with the strawberries.

Corn: boil it and eat it on the cob. If you use butter, you'll use far less than you would if you took the kernals off the cob first.

The rule of thumb for eating fresh in the summer is to do the least cooking of any fruit or vegetable that you can safely get by with. You'll enjoy the food, and be eating healthfully, too.

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Beauty Food

I've been rethinking my lifestyle lately, and by lifestyle I mean only two things: diet and exercise.
I made a promise to my son - yes, I will exercise!
But I know that without eating properly, exercising is not going to do much good for me at my age when food becomes so important - and unfortunately, at a time when the only people at home are our two kitties and my husband and I. I worry about the cats' food more than I do ours. When my son was at home, especially in his early teen years, I made dinners with wheat germ, cooked only with vegetable oil (when I used oil), used blackstrap molasses, etc., etc. You get the picture. My major excuse is how busy I am, so I'm going to begin with a couple of "easy" ways to improve your health and beauty by what you eat.
First, raisins and prunes are your friends - not necessarily for the reasons that your mother forced them on you (although they do have that benefit) but because raisins are very high in antioxidants that fight aging and disease. They are also low-fat and low-cholesterol, and are satisfyingly sweet for someone with the sweet tooth that I have. They are also a good source of iron and potassium. The same goes for prunes.
Now some people are going to get upset when I say this,but if you must have some chocolate, then eat it around your raisins. If you're going to eat the chocolate anyway; you may as well have the benefit of the raisins!
Raisins/prunes help with: dry skin, wrinkles, dry hair, dandruff,weak nails.
It's summer, and I'm looking forward to some decent melons and tomatoes. Good for me! Both are chock full of vitamin A/beta-carotene which helps us look lovely longer by fighting dry skin, wrinkles, and dry hair. It is also necessary for healthy vision.
Our Goal: This week incorporate raisins, tomatoes, prunes, and melon into our diets in a substantial way - meaning every day have at least 2 of these. We'll all look better and feel better. More beauty foods coming!
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Something You Already Know

Gee, I am looking tired lately, and I noticed more fine lines and wrinkles than I ever had before about three weeks ago. Very distressing. The problem? Simple.
I stopped drinking water.
I am always thirsty, but since I moved into my husband's office building, it's so easy to sip diet coke constantly that I've been neglecting my water consumption which usually is very high, and to which I credit my good complexion.
I hope I haven't done any serious or permanent damage, but I have noticed improvements already.
Some things just sneak up on us!

Donnachloe
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In Praise of Shawls

Women in Europe, Spain, Italy, France, Portugal, still wear them. They are practical, stylish, and have a certain je ne sais quoi.
Women in America discovered them (fashionable women, that is, the more Bohemian and some of the dowdier always used them) with the advent of the pashmina.
I am, of course, talking about shawls, a versatile piece of clothing that can keep you warm, add flair to your appearance, and serve every purpose from keeping your cat in control to being a make-shift umbrella.
I fell in love with shawls when I was traveling in India where shawls are a way of life. After all, the dupatta is a shawl, and really you could say that a sari is simply a shawl that serves as a dress. I bought shawls there, and I've been wearing those shawls and more that I've bought ever since.
Now I am not talking about the loosely crocheted shawl that your great-aunt saw fit to make for you and give you as a token as her affection. I am talking about pashminas, woolen squares, solid or beautiful patterns, long lengths of cashmere - real shawls that will keep you warm. I wear a shawl many times instead of a coat. With a good woolen shawl that I can wrap around me, a pair of gloves, and warm boots, I can get by with a suit jacket unless I have to walk several blocks - certainly I can drive around doing errands without having to keep a bulky coat on. When it is really cold, I wear one over my coat: my largest wool shawl adds a layer of warmth and hugs my neck, while a simple pashmina I treat as a scarf and wrap it twice around my neck.
When I'm caught outside in the rain, I simply pulling my shawl over my head keeps my long hair dry (unless it's a total downpour). In the summer, a light silk shawl keeps me from freezing in air-conditioned theatres, and just last week, I learned that my cat loves to go to the vet held against my chest wrapped in a shawl rather than being put in the kitty carrier.
Maybe one of the things I love most about shawls is the way that they make me feel: feminine, even exotic, sophisticated.
Choose your shawl carefully: you can't go wrong with a pashmina or Himalayan shawl. A Burberry is so popular in Europe that they stay sold-out. Avoid shawls that are made of too-fuzzy yarn, or are crocheted and bulky or that have fringe that will have all the cats in the neighborhood following you to play.
Do match them to your coat, your suit, your gloves and boots. And stay warm and chic.
The Louis Vuitton shawl to the left is a classic that you can keep forever and then hand down to your daughter.
Donnachloe



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Coats, Massages, Manicures, Pedicures, and Perfume

I've been in Washington, D.C., one of my favorite cities and one of the most beautiful American cities. It also boasts some fabulous shopping and services. I made sure that I did sample some of them.First, I found the coat I needed, but on the day before I left. And instead of buying the perfect Burberry, I found it down the block at the Filene's Basement (again). I tried on every Burberry that I thought might remotely fit me or look good - nothing worked. On a whim, I tried Filene's and voila, found a Tahari coat in black that looks almost identical to the one in the picture of my last post. And as luck would have it, it was far, far less than the Burberry I was going to buy. Saving money meant that I had more to spend, of course, so I treated myself at the nearest Hermes store to a turquoise Hermes scarf (I'd been wanting one with turquoise). I found Les Jardins d'Andalousie (I'm too lazy to get up to check to see if I got the prepostition right, but it means The Gardens of Andalucia - perfect since I love Andalucia!)
In Georgetown, at the Georgetown Mall, there is a little perfume shop that I've been going to since 1992 that has wonderful fragrances, including those that are often hard to find. I had to pay a visit, and though I wanted to walk away with most of the stock, I limited myself to one small, but incredibly potent, bottle of Fracas. It's a fragrance that isn't for everyone, but I adore it and wearing it makes me feel sexy and a bit decadent (not to mention very floral) so I tried to spray a little of it as possible when riding in the car with others.
One of the first things I did was go to the Ballston Mall in Arlington, Virginia (courtesy of my lovely, lovely daughter-in-law) and sign up for some badly needed beauty treatments. A Swedish massage by Misty (whose gifted hands would have made her a high priestess in the Ancient World) made by body feel better than it had for some time, and her sinus massage did the same thing for my head. A manicure and pedicure improved the appearance of my awful hands and feet by 100% and felt as marvelous as a massage. I also left with products, namely soap and a shea butter based creme with a "Pink Champagne" scent that is heavenly (Natural Body Day Spa). My sister-in-law and daughter-in-law opted for facials as well. At the risk of sounding terribly pampered and spoiled (and I was for that day, anyway), it was a day well-spent.
I found Cole-Haans (my favorite style, too) for half price at Bloomingdale's, a pair of boots that make walking easy (difficult for boots to do) and at least 4 pairs of black slacks (when I travel, I think I keep leaving them places) and probably a lot more items that I shouldn't have bought. (Beware of shopping with your sister-in-law and daughter-in-law!) But every purchase fit properly, was a good or good price, and, after all, I will wear everything!
Donnachloe
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