Banana Berry Smoothie

I've been experimenting with different protein drinks/smoothies - trying to come up with something that I like, is good for me, and doesn't upset my delicate digestive system, LOL.

It had to be non-dairy, which also meant no whey protein powder.

That left me with rice, hemp, or pea protein powders. I've tried rice in the past - one word - ick. I wasn't thrilled about the hemp and pea powders either because their biological value isn't that great (that's how much of the protein can actually be utilized by the body). Then I discovered that the liquid egg whites that I use for my scrambled eggs are pasteurized and can be used in drinks! And they have a biological value of 1 - which means the body can use all of the protein; they don't leave a chalky taste in smoothies; and because they're already liquid, they mix well.

This is what I made today:

I really like it, so I'll share the recipe with you.

Banana Berry Smoothie

1/3 c. blueberries

1/3 c. strawberries

1/2 banana, mashed

1/4 c. "All Whites" liquid egg whites

1/3 c. water

1/3-1/2 c. almond milk

Add fruit and water to blender. Mix until fruit is pureed. Add liquid egg whites and almond milk. Mix until smooth.

My notes:

1. I bought fresh fruit and froze it to make the smoothie a bit thicker, but you don't have to freeze the fruit - you could add ice cubes instead.
2. I use Almond Breeze vanilla unsweetened almond milk
3. Please don't use raw egg whites! Use either a pasteurized liquid or powdered egg white product.

As closely as I can calculate, the nutritional info is as follows:
Calories - 142
Total fat - 1.5g
Sodium - 164 mg
Total carbs - 24.8g
Fiber - 4g
Protein - 8.3g

Enjoy!!

My to-do list...

1. 10:30 am - Drive 45 minutes to doctor - check.
2. Make unexpected side trip for x-ray - check.
3. Have 8 x-rays taken instead of one - check.
4. Drive home in 30 minutes instead of 45 so Buddy won't be late for work - check.
5. See piles of clothing & beach towels on the side of the freeway (?) - check.
6. 1:30 pm - Pick up Buddy - check.
7. Drive 3 miles, turn around, then go a different way because traffic is stopped - check.
8. Drop off Buddy - check.
9. Go to post office, drop off packages - check.
10. Go to Walgreen's (cringing because something will go wrong) - check.
11. Stand in line at pharmacy for 10 minutes because the stupid person in front of me is asking questions that have nothing to do with the pharmacy - check.
12. Find out that the pharmacy doesn't have my new blood pressure meds & will have to order them - check. 
13. Take deep cleansing breaths to try to keep blood pressure from going any higher - check.
14. 3:30 pm - Go home (finally) and eat lunch (after feeding the cats & letting the dog outside) - check.
15. Relay all of this on the phone to Gus when he calls - check.
16. Relay all of this to Lulu when she gets home from school - check.
17. Take Excedrin Migraine - check.
18. 5:30 pm - Type this all out for my blog - check.
19. Lay on couch and watch HGTV - check.

How was your day??

Death at a Funeral

Gus and I watched "Death at a Funeral" last night. We saw the trailer in the theater several months ago and thought it looked like something we'd enjoy, but just now got around to actually watching it.

I believe it's a remake - but I didn't see the original. Basically, it's centered around the funeral of a man whose family has gathered to say their last goodbyes. With Chris Rock, Martin Lawrence, Tracy Morgan, and Luke Wilson as part of the cast, you can pretty much count on chaos and some unexpected twists.

In my opinion, James Marsden was the funniest person in the movie, followed by a crotchety Danny Glover (as Uncle Russell). Columbus Short (Brian) also had a few good scenes. "It's on my cheek!" made me laugh a lot, LOL.

Overall, I was a little disappointed with the movie. There were some really funny lines/scenes - but most of it just kind of fell flat. I was glad it was only 92 minutes long. I'd give it 2 out of 5 stars. It's good for a few laughs when you don't have anything else to watch, but I wouldn't go out of my way to rent it.

Happy Birthday, Gus!

Today Gus turns 44. That's right - he's 5 years younger than me. Yes, I robbed the cradle, blah, blah, blah - I've heard it all.  :-P

When I asked Gus what kind of cake he wanted for his birthday, he said that he wanted yellow cupcakes - from a box - with vanilla frosting - from a can. I like to make cupcakes and frosting from scratch. But since it's his birthday, he gets to choose - so a box and a can it is...oh - and did I mention that the only thing I'm allowed to use for decoration is multi-colored non-pareils?

This was the end result:

Not the prettiest cupcakes I've ever made, but apparently they were tasty. Gus ate five right after dinner and everyone else seemed to be enjoying them as well, LOL.

We went out with some friends this past weekend and had a great time. Sort of a belated anniversary/early birthday celebration. A mini pub crawl - because we're too old to do a real pub crawl - we get tired too early in the evening, LOL. Here we are at one of the bars (I think this was the dueling piano bar) - it was hot & humid and we had already been partying for about 6 hours. I look like I was partying for 6 hours in the heat & humidity, while Gus looks just like he did earlier in the evening. Must be the 5 year age difference. Because it's his birthday, I'll just say "not fair".

I'm taking him out to eat tonight at our favorite Chinese restaurant. The people he works with took him out to lunch today. And his aunt gave him a gift card to Outback, so we'll be going there soon. And we still have to do the family birthday dinner (the four of us always go out to eat for each of our birthdays - although this year, I think it will be the five of us because Lulu's boyfriend, CW, will probably go, too)...so lots of dining out this week. Yay!

Happy Birthday, Gus - may you have at least 44 more. Love you!

Pink/gray/blue smoky eye

I love this look pink, gray, & blue look...

Glamour.com

so I attempted to create something similar. I can't line my waterline, and I decided to do gray liner instead of black, so my version isn't quite as dramatic, but I really like the colors.

Products I used for this look:
Aromaleigh "Marigold" eye shadow
Aromaleigh "Rosy Cheeks" eye shadow
Aromaleigh "Tide" eye shadow
MAC "Knight Divine" eye shadow
Aromaleigh "Moonstone" eye liner pencil
Aromaleigh "Pomegranate" blush
Benefit PosieTint
MAC Long Stem Rose slimshine lipcolor

Happy Anniversary!

Gus and I were married 22 years ago today. Wait. That can't be right. Really? Has it been 22 years?? Are you sure??

Here we are, 22 years ago:

And here we are now:

If I were to give advice on marriage, it would be this: if someone tells you that their marriage is perfect or that marriage is easy, they're either lying to you or to themselves. Marriage is work. It's a job. It's not always equal. It's not always fair. Sometimes you're the windshield - sometimes you're the bug. But if you communicate and are both willing to make compromises along the way, it all evens out in the end. And if you hang in there, the retirement benefits are awesome.

Happy anniversary, honey - there's no one else that I would want by my side for this journey. Here's to the next 22 years!! Love you!

The Expendables

Gus, Buddy, and I went to see "The Expendables" last weekend and we all loved it! For awhile there, I thought I was going to be the only female in the theater, but right before the movie started 3-4 other women came in. It's definitely a "guy" movie, LOL!

Honestly, the plot wasn't the greatest. Basically, you have a group of mercenaries who are hired to go to South America and take out a dictator (played by David Zayas - who is Angel in Dexter). But of course, it's not that simple. It never is, LOL. There were a lot of funny lines, mega-action (lots of blood & gore - not for the kiddies!), and tons of explosions. No sex - just violence.

Their names just cracked me up:
Barney Ross (Sylvester Stallone) - the leader
Lee Christmas (Jason Statham) - knife aficionado
Yin Yang (Jet Li) - martial arts expert
Hale Caesar (Terry Crews) - heavy weapons specialist
Gunner Jensen (Dolph Lundgren) - sniper
Toll Road (Randy Couture) - demolitions expert
Paine (Steve Austin) - hired muscle for the bad guy
Tool (Mickey Rourke) - former mercenary, now a tattoo artist

Stallone has lost a lot of weight, but still looks good for his age. I can't look at Terry Crews without seeing him as Latrell in "White Chicks", LOL. Dolph Lundgren has really aged (unless they just made him look that way for the part). Mickey Rourke's plastic surgery is starting to look more normal now - he's not nearly as plastic & shiny, LOL. Loved Arnold's scene!! And Randy Couture's ears totally gross me out! Ewww!

If you like all of these action-movie guys, you'll probably like this movie. It's pretty much non-stop action - especially the last 45 minutes. I give it 4 out of 5 stars just for the entertainment factor.

Have a great weekend!!

Today's wisdom...

Please keep your bare feet inside the vehicle at all times. This is especially important if your feet are dirty and/or unpedicured. (Is that a word? I don't care - it works here.) And while you're at it, don't put them on the dashboard either. Eww.

Thank you. Please drive safely and enjoy the ride.

Take me out to the ballgame...

We have an independent minor league baseball team in our area, but we had never been to a game until last Friday night. We went to show support for a very special young lady who sang the national anthem. She's just 14 years old, but she is very talented - and just happens to be the daughter of Gus's former boss.

Buddy, Lulu, & CW joined us - and we had a great time. It was a lot more fun than I expected, not being a baseball fan, LOL. It's great for families - especially ones with young kids. They have a really nice playground and lots of activities for the kids. Ticket prices are very reasonable, too.

Our seats were overlooking third base, so we had an excellent view of the fireworks after the game. I think the fireworks were Gus's favorite part. I'm pretty sure he would buy tickets to every Friday night game ($10) just to watch the fireworks.

This thing was HUGE! But it was more like sausage - and I wanted a ballpark hot dog!

Liberty - one of the mascots - the kids loved him!

Wally the Water Tower - have you seen the Florence Y'all tower?

Lulu & CW

Buddy - just a little too close to the camera, LOL!

Gus & me - not the most flattering picture of me, but it was 96 degrees! LOL!

Yay! We won with a walk-off homerun!

Gus's favorite part

more fireworks

video of some of the fireworks

If you have a local minor league team, I really recommend going to a game. It's a great way to spend some time with the family without breaking the bank. And if it's like it is here - there is more than enough to keep the kids busy. They even have an area for birthday parties. You can even sign up to run out onto the field with the players when they're introduced. Each player was accompanied by 3 kids - and then the player autographed a baseball for each kid. Pretty cool!!

Turkey?

One of the free apps that I have on my iPhone is Pocket Express. It's the closest thing I can find to Viigo, which was my absolute favorite app for my Blackberry. *rant* Why, oh why, can't they make a version of Viigo (or at least something similar) for the iPhone?? I really liked Viigo. It was the best. You can't personalize Pocket Express like Viigo. Sigh. *rant over*

Anyway...back to Pocket Express. I use it mainly to read news & entertainment headlines. I usually check it in the morning when I get up and in the evening before I go to bed. Last week, I was lying in bed, reading the headlines, when I saw "Turkey discovers ancient underground tomb".

I must have been really tired, because my first thought was "how in the world would a turkey discover an ancient underground tomb?" Seriously. I actually frowned and tried to think it through. I didn't click to read the rest of the article, so it took me a minute or two to wrap my mind around it enough to realize that they meant Turkey the country. Duh. Yeah.

It had nothing to do with the fact that I'm blonde. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Speaking of stories - if you want to read the Turkey story, you can find it here.  :-)

Dragonball Saw New Moon

I debated whether or not to even bother giving my 2 cents on these three movies since they're so old now. But then I figured if I just saw them, then maybe there are others who are just as behind the times, LOL!

Saw VI - seriously? There are six Saw movies now? How many of these can they make? Apparently, at least seven - because I heard that there is going to be Saw VII/3D. I don't know if they're calling it Saw VII or Saw 3D - either way, it's one Saw too many, LOL!! At any rate, Saw VI picks up where Saw V left off (duh). You see some flashbacks (again, duh), but mostly the movie revolves around Det. Hoffman (Costas Mandylor) and Jill Tuck (Betsy Russell). Jill was Jigsaw's wife, for those who don't remember. I don't think I can really talk about the movie without giving it away - but you can expect the usual blood, guts, and gore. A few unexpected (or not, LOL) twists - and of course, an ending that definitely leaves an opening for the next installment. I give it 3 out of 5 stars. It wasn't bad, it's just starting to drag on a little too long. Part of a successful series is knowing when it's time to call it quits, LOL!

Dragonball: Evolution - yes, yes, I know. But I used to watch Dragonball Z with Buddy, so I kind of "knew" the characters and storyline - and I love James Marsters (Spike from "Buffy" & "Angel"), so I wanted to see how he looked as the big green Piccolo, LOL! I think with movies like these you have to adjust your expectations. I mean, come on. Did you really think it was going to be awesome? It wasn't the worst movie I've ever seen, but thank goodness it was only an hour & a half long. The cartoon series is much better. I give it 2 out of 5 stars. Something to watch if you're bored, but otherwise don't go out of your way to see it.

New Moon - first, let me say that I'm not a Twilight fan. (But if I were, I'd be Team Jacob, LOL!) I haven't read the books, and I don't plan to read them. I did a lot of eye-rolling during Twilight. That said, I liked New Moon a lot more than Twilight. I thought the plot moved along at a better pace and was just more interesting. I still can't bear to watch Kristen Stewart (Bella) on the screen. OMG - her expression just makes me want to scream. And could Edward (Robert Pattinson) possible Brood any more? Yes, Brood with a capital "B". He doesn't even do it well. Angel could teach him a think or two about sexy brooding. I think Kristen Stewart's facial expressions are contagious. But I like the werewolves. And Jacob (Taylor Lautner) is so much hotter now that they don't have him wearing that nasty, ratty wig. Ewwww. So Edward is still gone, Bella is super-sad, and Jacob loves Bella. Bella discovers that if she does dangerous things, she "sees" Edward - so she starts doing crazy stuff. Jacob turns for the first time & tries to keep Bella at a distance. But you know Bella. Alice (Ashley Greene) tells Bella that Edward is going to expose himself as a vampire so that the Volturi will kill him, so of course, Bella runs to save him. Meanwhile, Victoria (Rachelle Lefever) is still a PITA. I give it 3 out of 4 stars.

Did you see any of these movies? What did you think?

"The Other Guys"

Gus and I went to see this movie last weekend - and we loved it! We laughed through the entire movie!

I find Will Ferrell funny, although his humor is the type that can get on my nerves after awhile. So I might start watching a movie, thinking he's funny, but by the end of the movie I just want him to shut up, LOL. In this movie, I thought he was hilarious.

I'm not sure I can be unbiased in a review of Mark Wahlberg. I mean he could just stand there and smile (or scowl) and I'm pretty sure I'd still think he was great. Sigh. (I may or may not have just been thinking about those pics of him in Calvin Klein underwear.) I think I've enjoyed all of his movies - but this is the first one (that I can think of) that a comedy. I liked his character in "The Other Guys" and he was surprisingly funny.

Eva Mendes looked beautiful, as usual. I'm pretty sure Gus enjoyed her performance the most. He's so predictable.

If you aren't familiar with the movie - it's about two cops, Gamble & Hoitz (Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg) who are always in the shadow of other cops, namely Danson & Highsmith (Dwayne Johnson (how hot is he??) and Samuel L. Jackson). When they get the opportunity to be like their idols - they take it - but as you probably suspect, they run into a few problems along the way.

No, it's not the greatest storyline ever. No, it's not the greatest action film ever. But I don't think it was intended to be either one of those things. It pokes fun at all the great action films and their over-the-top heroes. It's a funny movie that's a lot of fun.

Oh - and if you go to see it - be sure to stay after the credits for an additional scene. And don't forget to check runpee.com for the best times to take a bathroom break!

Botox - Day 14 update

It's been 2 weeks since I had the Botox injections and I can say without a doubt that it was a success! I can still move my forehead and eyebrows, but I cannot make the frowning motion that caused the line between my eyebrows. My forehead/eyes in no way look "frozen" or "like a mask". There is still plenty of movement when I talk - and all of my facial expressions are still there - except for the frowning motion that makes the line between my eyes, LOL.

(You can read the original post here.)

Picture comparisons:

before Botox injections

Day 7 after Botox

Day 14 after Botox

frowning - Day 4 after Botox

frowning - Day 7 after Botox

frowning - Day 14 after Botox

Day 14 - no, this isn't how I look, LOL - I'm just
showing you how I can raise my eyebrows!

As you can see, the line between my eyebrows is barely noticeable now. I suspect it will eventually disappear. My eyebrows have a really nice arch now - and I love that. I'll keep you updated on how long the results last. I think I'll take a weekly picture so I can compare and see when things start to "revert".

Viburnum/Cat Island eye makeup & misc. stuff

It's been a crazy week - and the next few days aren't looking to be any better! But here is a quick eyeshadow look that I did recently that I wanted to share.

This look was a little more metallic than I usually wear, but Viburnum is one of my favorite eye shadows from Aromaleigh. It's such a pretty color - gray, bronze, pewter - it has it all!

MAC "Scant" eye shadow - I don't see this on the MAC site, and mine is in a Holiday palette from a couple of years ago
Meow Cosmetics "Cat Island" eye shadow (from the Caribbean Escape collection)
Aromaleigh "Viburnum" eye shadow - limited availability
Aromaleigh "Smokescreen" Pure Hue - no longer available
MAC "Smolder" Eye Kohl
Aromaleigh "Verve" blush - currently unorderable, but that changes day-to-day
Benefit "Rush Hour" (for lips & cheeks)

None of the full face shots I took turned out very well, so you're just getting the eye shots, LOL. I have a ton of new shadow samples here that I want to swatch for you. Hopefully, things will slow down a bit next week and I'll have a chance to do that.

Side note on other upcoming blog posts: Gus and I went to see "The Other Guys" (starring Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg) last weekend and I'm hoping to see "The Expendables" (with Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Steve Austin, & Mickey Rourke, etc. - and remember Charisma Carpenter (Cordelia from "Buffy" and "Angel"? She's in it, too! ) this weekend  so I will be reviewing those for you. I also have "Avatar" and "Daybreakers" on DVD (Yeah, yeah - I'm behind the times and no, I didn't see "Avatar" in the theater!) - and "Death at a Funeral" just arrived, so I need to watch those and do reviews. I just watched "Saw VI", "Dragonball Z: Evolution", & "Twilight Saga: New Moon" - but I'm not sure it's worth doing reviews since they're all pretty old. And for sure, we're going to have to do some talking about this season of "Treu Blood"!

Have a great weekend everyone!

If you can't say something nice...

I know I shouldn't be, but I am constantly amazed by the number of rude people out there. I'm talking about people who don't know how to voice their opinion without being obnoxious.

I'm all for speaking your mind - as a matter of fact, I think that most of the time, it doesn't pay to be quiet. But there are definitely times when you need to stop and think about what you're getting ready to say. Ask yourself if it's really necessary - or if there is a way to word it so that it's not offensive - or if it's going to make you look like an uneducated, immature ass.

For example, if you read someone's personal blog and you disagree with something they write about - before posting a comment, you should probably ask yourself if the comment is appropriate. After all, it's someone's personal blog - with their personal opinions - and their personal observations. It's not the gospel - it's not the law. So should you really make a comment telling that person that they are wrong/shallow/ridiculous/vain? Or would it be better to say something like "I feel differently" or "I see it this way" or "This is my opinion"?

There's a lot of truth to Thumper's father's advice - if you can't say something nice... don't say nothing at all. You can be nice and still have a different opinion. I have no problem with opinions that differ from mine. Opinions - we all have them - we all have a right to ours - and that's the way it should be...Amen. But insulting me on my blog is like coming into my home and insulting me. Would you want me to come to your house and insult you? I would like to think that your mother taught you better. Or perhaps she did, and she would be just as appalled at your behavior as I.

So if you make a comment on one of my blog posts and it's rude, insulting, or otherwise disrespectful - don't expect to see it posted. That's why the comments are moderated. Please take your nastiness elsewhere. On the other hand, if you have a well-thought-out comment to make and you're respectful in your wording, I have no problem with posting it for everyone to see. I know not everyone will agree with me and I wouldn't have it any other way. Variety is the spice of life!

My readers are awesome - but over the past couple of days, I've had people appear out of nowhere just to make rude comments. I don't know these people - they've never commented on my blog before - and apparently they're just signing up for an ID just to make a rude comment. Nice, huh?

I apologize for the need for this little soapbox rant. We now return to our regularly scheduled program. I'm going to go listen to Nirvana's "Lake of Fire"...

Whiteyboard!!

When I was a kid, I loved to draw. Pencils, markers, chalk, paint - I had it all. I loved chalkboards, pads of paper, the sidewalk - and I would've been the coolest kid on the block with one of these in my room.

A Whiteyboard!! It's a whiteboard that you can stick to any wall. It's removable and doesn't damage the wall.  According to the website, you can move it up to 5 times without the adhesive losing it's effectiveness. And the prices are soooo reasonable! A 12" X 18" Whiteyboard is $10, 2' X 3' $15 (out of stock), and 3.3' X 6' $30.

I wish my kids were little again just so I could buy the largest one for them. Well, I'd probably have to buy two, because they'd fight if we just had one. Make that three - because I want one, too!





Oh, the possibilities!! You could cut one into smaller pieces and stick them on the inside of cabinets - in the bathroom, the kitchen - anywhere you need to write down a list of things to buy at the store. You could stick one on the table by the phone! You'd never have to search for paper again. How about your laptop? The console in your car? You could even use them for chore lists for your kids (or your husband). And in the kids' rooms, you wouldn't necessarily have to put one on the wall - you could cover a tabletop with it so the kids could write directly on the table.

I'm buying one - how about you?

Botox

A couple of years ago, I said, "I would never get Botox."

Yeah. You know what happens when you say "never". Last Friday, I ate my words.

I called my dermatologist's office to ask about Restylane injections, but was told that she only does Juvederm. While talking to the receptionist, I discovered that they only have two clients who use Juvederm, but they have a huge Botox clientele. That sparked my interest, so I started asking questions. Turns out, almost all of the employees in the office get Botox, too! LOL! They were offering a half-price special for first-time Botox users, so glabellar (the area between the eyebrows) injections were just $150.

Gus went to the appointment with me and even went back to the treatment room. Several people commented on how they weren't used to seeing husbands there. The doctor said that he was the first husband to be in the room - ever. Turns out, all of their Botox clients keep it on the down low. Yep - secret bank accounts, secret cell phone numbers - and when they call the client's home, they have to say they're calling to schedule their "procedure". Wow. I was honestly shocked. It never occurred to me to not tell Gus.

The nurse gave me an icepack to put on my forehead - to help numb it a little and to also help keep any swelling to a minimum. Then the doctor came in and had me frown so she could mark the injection spots with a neon yellow highlighter, LOL. I iced the area for a few more minutes and then she was back with the Botox. She did tell me that the line between my eyebrows wouldn't go away with one injection - but that it would disappear over time - possibly with a second injection and definitely with a third.

There were 5 injection sites - in a vee formation. The needle is very tiny and I only felt a small pinprick with each injection. I couldn't feel the Botox when it was injected. Immediately afterward, there was a little bit of throbbing, but it wasn't even what I would consider "headache level". There was minimal bleeding (I do take aspirin) and swelling - and we went to brunch immediately after we left the office.

After a couple of hours, the areas started to feel a little "weird". Sort of numb, but not really because I could still feel them and move my forehead. Around 8pm that night (about 10 hours after), I had a tight sensation across my forehead - which gave me a headache. Excedrin knocked the headache, no problem.

Day 1 - 4: Not much difference. I do think my eyebrows looked a bit more arched (which the dr. said was a desired "side effect"), but I could still move the muscles in my forehead and make a "frown". Since I had been told that I should see a difference in about 3 days, I called the dr's office to make sure everything was okay. They were a bit surprised, but said that it can take up to 2 weeks to get the full effect. Apparently, some people have stronger muscles, and those take longer to show the effects of the Botox. Probably all of those facial exercises, LOL! But the doctor said that if I could still move the muscle after 2 weeks, to call her back.

At Day 4, I thought my brow area looked more smooth (along with the arched brows), and the furrow between my eyebrows looked more shallow. Yay!!

Day 5-6: I saw a little change every day. The area definitely looks smoother and more "rested". Each day I was able to move my brows less, and I had to work a lot harder to make a frown.

Day 7: Today, I could barely make a scrunched frown. I can still move my eyebrows up & down, but I can't scrunch them together to form a frown. So the muscle is affected, but my entire forehead is definitely not paralyzed - and I don't think that anyone would ever be able to tell that I had Botox injections.

Here are the pictures (and they are all untouched - much to my dismay, LOL!)...

The first two were taken so you could see what the injection sites looked like:

the injection sites right after I left the office

taken 4 hrs. after the Botox

The next three pictures were taken in the same room, with the same lighting - I tried to keep my face as relaxed as possible for each picture. They were taken before the Botox, at Day 4, and at Day 7.

before Botox (ignore the crossed eyes, LOL!)

Day 4

Day 7

The next two pictures are of me frowning - they're taken in the same room, with the same lighting, and with me attempting to make the same scrunched motion. They were taken on Day 4 and Day 7. Unfortunately, I forgot to take a "before" frown picture. But at Day 4, I still had pretty much the same movement as before the injections. There was considerably more effort put into the frown on Day 7.

Day 4

Day 7

I will continue to take pictures through Day 14, and if there are changes, I'll do an update. Overall, I'm pleased with the results and would definitely do it again! I may even consider doing side bangs - something I've never done!!

Have any of you ever tried Botox or injectable fillers? What was your experience? If you haven't tried it - would you?

Magazine Deals!!

Publication Station is offering 10 different magazine subscriptions for just $2.99 (each) per year!! What a deal!

The $2.99 per year is good for new subscriptions or renewals:

Interview

Spin

Family Fun

Weight Watchers

Shape

Motorcyclist

Automobile

Prevention

Muscle and Fitness

Taste of Home

I've ordered from Publication Station many times and they have always been very reliable and timely. And at these prices, you can order magazines for yourself and also for gifts!! I love when people give me magazine subscriptions as gifts - it's like getting a hug every month!

Back when...

Anyone else a Tim McGraw fan? I love his song "Back When"...

Don't you remember
The fizz in a Pepper
Peanuts in a bottle
At ten, two and four
A fried bologna sandwich
With mayo and tomato
Sittin' round the table
Don't happen much anymore...

When I was a kid, I ate fried bologna sandwiches with mayo and tomato all of the time. Mmmmmmm - warm, just-picked tomatoes. Yum!! (I do draw the line at fried Spam - ewwww.)

Imagine my surprise when I learned that Gus had never experienced the gustatory delight of fried bologna!! I decided that in order for him to be recognized as a true Son of the South, he would need to eat a fried bologna sandwich. Since he hates tomatoes, I told him it would be okay to eat it with just mayo. (There was a lot of eye-rolling on my part, but I realize you can only do so much with a city boy.) However, I did insist that we stop at a local farm and buy home-grown tomatoes for my sandwich.

Yeah, yeah - I know. Not the healthiest thing in the world. But we eat healthy stuff most of the time, so this was us being "bad" for one meal. I was in fried bologna heaven when I took the first bite. And I think Gus liked it - and he can now cross another thing off the list of things he needs to do in order to be more "Southern".

So who else likes a fried bologna sandwich with mayo and tomato?