Consumer Report

When one moves to a different town or state, you give up your hair stylist, nail tech, babysitters, bank, cell phone company, etc. So, it got me started on this post.

Ah, the stuff I love. The stuff I don't love..... I'm a consumer. We all are. Let me tell you what works for me and maybe why it does. We'll see how this goes down. There could be something on this list you are in need of... and then maybe not. Just take a peak:)

Health and Beauty:

• Loreal Tanning Wipes: Great for the winter. I like them better than mystic tan because they are WAY cheaper and I think work better. Normally, I will just apply to the face but, purchase the "body towelettes", it's a better buy.
• Pureology Hydrating Shampoo and Conditioner (purple bottle): Works great on my hair type, which is colored from light brown to blond. I have a lot of thinner strands of hair so my hair isn't that strong. If this is you and you are looking for a great shampoo, you need to find a friend that goes to the Beauty Supply Store and can get this for you at 1/2 the price of the salon.
• Arbonne Not-S0-Basic Skincare: I just started using this. Definitely satisfied with the face line. DID NOT LIKE THE SHAMPOO AND CONDITIONER! The only thing I don't really care for about the face line is the scent. Well, there isn't really a smell to it but.... I wish it were a "nicer" scent. That's all.
• Cover Girl eyeshadow in Mink. I used this in high school. I still use it. I also use Mary Kay and I love the eye primer but.... there's something about this Cover Girl eyeshadow that I just love. It's a light brown/bronze color.
• Hot Tools curling irons: Again, when your friend is picking up your Pureology, have her grab you a Hot Tools curling iron for the holiday parties you are going to. The more heat, the longer the curl stays in. And remember, when you are curling your hair start at the base of your lock, leaving the end out, and gradually get to the ends. This way the heat is distributed along the entire lock of hair. Did that make sense?? That will give you that Hollywood type hair. You can get these for about $30.
• Revlon black tweezers: Sharp and gets at the 'stubborn' eyebrow.
• Hylands teething tablets: A great option for the teething baby. Or, if you think they are teething and they really aren't, then you feel like you went with the 'natural' approach and, no harm done:)

Wow, do I think I'm the health and beauty expert? No.. not really. I just kind of got carried away with it....

Clothing and Jewelry:

• Hanes Her Way: These undies are GREAT. Well, if you have a flat ass and hips, they are GREAT!! hehe.... Love them, minimizes the wedgy.
• Calvin Klein Perfect Fit Bra: This link might not be exactly right. But, if you are in the B, C, or D range these bras make your boobs look fabulous. I haven't had the best of luck with Victoria's Secret bra shopping. They just seem to not have enough support, more for show.... kind of. You might give these a try.
• PINK Sweats and Flip flops: From Victoria's Secret. Love them both. The flip flops are high quality rubber, not like an Old Navy flip flop. Loved them this past summer. And the sweats..... what's not to love?
• I once wore a fake wedding band with my wedding ring for over a year. Maybe it was 2 years!??!! I don't remember. I can't find the website right now but... what I wanted was an eternity band like the one Jessica Simpson had. Of course, not THAT big! So, I ordered a CZ copy of her band to pair it with my ring and see if it would look good. I liked it.. just what I wanted but it was too large. So, I went back to the website and ordered a smaller eternity band and tried that, of course CZ. When I was ready, I went to the jeweler with a custom order and had the ring made. And the reason I had to go through all this was because a lot of jewelers won't make a prong set eternity band. They want them channel set because they are afraid of losing diamonds, etc. and then having to replace them. So, don't be shy to wear a CZ.. nobody will know:)

Home and Decorating:

• According to a previous post, if you love Potterybarn you can find a very similar look at Target!! Especially great for organizing your kids rooms, girls!!
• Upper Case Living: Has everybody heard of this?? I've never used it but I think I'm going to find a very appropriate place in my home and try this out. I think it could be a good thing. And you need to see the catalog, the website just doesn't do it justice.
• I love TILEX SOAP SCUM REMOVER for pretty much all my cleaning! And, of course, DAWN DIRECT FOAM for doing dishes. Rock on... try it.
• Spice Islands Lousiana Seasoning: YOU WILL LOVE. Great in pastas!!

Just dumb crap....

• Wells Fargo Bank: Has the easiest online banking. So EASY and organized. Plus, the have great rewards. I know of a lot of people that haven't been satisfied with WF. Something about getting charged all these different fees for banking with them. I have never had a problem with fees or anything like that. So... watch out for the hidden fees but otherwise the online banking and rewards are GOOD! WF isn't around here so... I'm going to miss you Wellsy.
• Verizon Wireless: Man oh man am I going to miss Verizon now that they don't really offer coverage in this new area. Their website and account management, GREAT. Customer service... never had a problem. I think between Eli and I, we've tried all the companies. We are now going to be on Altell simply because they offer service in our new area. But their website sucks and I haven't been impressed with much but their service. Of all the companies, VW was the best to us.
• LG Cell phones: So far, I like LG phones the best. They seem to 'bounce' off the ground a little bit better than most:)
• Britax Car seats: If you can't figure out how to use these car seats, you must be drunk. They've made it so dang simple. I just love how they work and their fabrics. We bought this other Eddie Bauer type seat for Dane and we just about had a meltdown trying to get it into the vehicle. It was falling apart and we couldn't figure it out!! I just brought it back and ordered up another Britax. Naydine has the Roundabout but we went with the Marathon for Dane. He's a little bit bigger boy than Nay... it's gotta last!

This post turned more into my opinion than a Consumer Report. But sometimes you just want some feedback from others on the products we buy. These work for me.... I'm not trying to be a know-it-all, just trying to eliminate some trial and error.

Now, I'm off to drink some Friday night wine with my husband.