Using the good stuff

CoverGirl has a new mascara that is terrific.  It coats the eye lashes and gives your eyes a  bright look.  The lashes separate very nicely, are wonderfully enhanced, and look naural with no clumping.  Now for my personal use, there is a slight glitch - it seems to irritate my allergies.  This doesn't happen every time I use the mascara, but enough that I am very leary of using it on a regular basis. 

Would I recommend it?  Absolutely!  It is good.  But if you do have allergies, use with caution because nothing is quite so irritating as irritated eyes. 

A sample of CoverGirl LashBlast Fusion was graciously given to me for evaluation by CoverGirl and BuzzAgent.  I received no compensation for evaluating this product. 

Living the Southern Life

Life in general is slower and more relaxed in the South than it is in the Northern and West Coast areas of our great land – USA! But you know, that doesn’t make us much different. We just take things a bit easier.

Now it is a “given” that it gets pretty hot here in the South. Well, today here in North Carolina, the actual temperature in our area is suppose to hit 97 F. That doesn’t indicate a little tiny bit just what the heat index is, folks. That heat index gets you every time! And it is a “Code Orange” day, too. That means each and every breath you take while you’re out in that heat is going to be a rough one. And the more you hustle and bustle and get in and out of your car, the harder it is for those breaths to get down in those two lungs of yours. Yes, it’s hot living in the South. And where the living is hot, the living is slower.

But you know, life is good in the South. Here in North Carolina, you can bask in the sun and dip in the ocean at some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. Or you can drive just a few hours and you’re in the cool mountains. The Smoky Mountains are beautiful to behold in their smoky, blue tinged, mysterious majesty. Or if you just want to drive somewhere else, there are revolutionary war and confederate war museums and battlefields abounding across the state as well as peach and apple orchards and wineries.

But living the Southern life isn’t just about a place, it is an attitude. It is being genteel , lovely, gracious, giving, sweet, kind – you know, all those great adverbs and adjectives. It is about caring for one another and giving to each other. A hand raised in greeting to strangers you pass on the walk or ride through town. But living the Southern life is much more and you’ll only know if you experience it for yourself – then you can describe it if you can find enough adverbs and adjectives.

Breathing Earth

This is interesting. Turn your sound on, too.

CLICK PICTURE and watch for awhile.
I'm not saying it's good or it's bad. It is simply something interesting.
Different actions occur to indicate carbon emissions, births, deaths, etc.
Thot: Mind boggling to think of the blinks that would show
if every aborted baby was also shown.

Going "green"

I have written a bit about living frugally here on the blog. Many frugal life styles are actually good for the environment. So you help your pocket book as well as the environment.

Most of the years while I raised my family, I did not have a dryer so the clothes were hung out to dry in the sun or in the snow or in the house when it rained. With a large family, you were washing and "drying" all the time. However, when we were finally able to get a dryer, I found that MY ENVIRONMENT had changed in that I NO LONGER HAD A COLD/CROUP all winter long.

Something helped and we really think it was the dryer.

Anyway, I do use my own shopping bags most of the time. I dump the coffee grounds in the yard. I do not really compost. I buy green cleaning products when they are affordable. I share my magazines with others. I recycle my printer cartridges and earn $3 for each. We recycle all that our recycle service will pick up (and we pay to have it picked up). We save and reuse containers. I save bread bags and roll them. They store better when rolled and they are convenient to use. Saves a bit on buying plastic wrap or plastic bags.

I do indulge in buying plastic baggies - aren't the zipper bags great! I do worry about the plastic and other debris in the oceans of the world. I love a clean earth and the beauty of it. But I do not believe that man has caused global warming. I do believe that man should not "strip" the earth of its forests (be sensible here, folks), nor do I believe that man should strip-mine the mountains.

I love a warm house and don't know what the best source of being able to maintain that warm house really is. I am delighted to live in a nice house and not a cave or a Soddy. We've come a long way here in the civilized world, we just need to know how to keep it nice without trashing it.

Chat With Vera's frugal posts: Here is one or you can "search this blog" by typing in frugal in the search box in the top right hand column.

Having your say

If you have looked over my blog in its entirety, you have seen logos for websites of various types. I have encouraged you to investigate the areas where you can stretch your money a bit by using coupons when you shop. The coupon links are listed in the side bar.

I have also encouraged you to investigate the area of sharing your OPINION on various topics through confidential and dependable survey sites. Sometimes they want your opinion on how you shop and what you like to buy. They sometimes want your opinion on a new product that a company is about to launch. (This can lead to the occasional product-test which is nice and fun.) Those of you who have families at home will find that you are given the opportunity to share your opinion on more topics and more frequently than I am given.

Why not take advantage of it? You can do "your opinion sharing" while you are relaxing with that cup of coffee or tea, coke, or whatever you like. But do take advantage of the opportunity. Simply click on the links I have provided and have fun. You can have a "voice" in what is in the market place or simply what is going on on the economic and political scene. And while you are doing it, you can pick up a few dollars here and there. And who knows? You might get that product to test and keep.


Survey sites: SurveySavvy, MySurvey, OpinionOutpost, Buzzback,
Product testing: InHomeProductTesting, VocalPoint

Heirloom Heritage Blooms

Pictured is a lovely azalea that is the result of a "sprout" that came up from the roots of a large azalea bush in my parent's yard in Wilmington, NC. The home is no longer in the family and my parents are both deceased. However, a little history on the azalea. My parents were determined to have a beautiful azalea garden. (The Azalea Festival in Wilmington, NC is famous and long-standing as a celebration of the beautiful area azaleas and gardens.) Mom and Dad collected cuttings from specialty plants that area gardeners shared with them. They had a wide assortment and a show-case garden.

When we closed the home and sold it, I was determined to have a bit of their garden for my home. So I found two tiny sprouts and brought them to my own home. What you see is one of them in bloom. Isn't it lovely.

Heirloom - treasure

The lovely jonquils (or whatever you want to name them) that are pictured at the top of Chat With Vera are a family treasure. These were taken from my husband's home-place nearly 50 years ago. His dear mother wanted to share them with us and dug a cluster up for us to plant at our home. I moved them to our present home five years ago. They are lovely and bring back so many memories of a lovely lady.

How about sharing with me (comment, please below) your memories of home and flowers? I'd love to hear from you and will post your comments unless you designate otherwise.