October 7, 2010

If you've been reading BigSisLilSis for awhile, you know that I've talked about the story of two sisters, Nancy G. Brinker and Susan G. Komen and why their story has always been close to my heart. What Nancy Brinker has accomplished in her life after making her sister a promise is truly amazing. I think she's more than proven that one person can make a difference.

Last year, I also mentioned that Nancy G. Brinker was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom for her work as a cancer advocate. I was glad to find out that she's written a book, Promise Me, about their story and how her promise to her sister launched the global breast cancer movement.

The Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure is an event that I participate in whenever possible and in 2008, the 25th anniversary of the Race for the Cure, I was the Team Captain of a team for the San Diego Race for the Cure. It was a great experience and one that I'll never forget.

During the month of October, we like to feature pink products that are being offered by companies who contribute a portion of their profits to breast cancer research. Here are a few to get us started.

Look at this cute pj short set from Susan G. Komen for only $15.00

And I love this Elizabeth Hurley Lip Gloss with the pink-croc print clutch, which retails for $25.00.There are literally thousands of pink products being sold in stores and online this month to benefit a variety of breast cancer awareness charities. Stay tuned…We'll be back with more of our favorites! 🙂

~LilSis

October 6, 2010

I just found the best cardio workout song EVER! On the tired backside of my walk today, I replayed this song 4 or 5 times and it propelled me home!

It's called “Animal” and it's from Neon Trees. Check it out:

Just for fun, here's a groovy acoustic version:

So what do you think? Am I right? Or am I right?

~BigSis

October 4, 2010

I have grumpy skin.  You know the kind.  Let down your guard for about 3 seconds and you get a breakout.  Or two!

Some people – like LilSis – have happy undemanding skin that's perfectly satisfied being casually swiped with a facial cleansing wipe and going on its merry way.

Did I get that low maintenance skin?  Oh, heck no!  I'm on the other end of the spectrum.  My grumpy skin demands to be clean clean clean…deep cleansers and exfoliators are not an option or an occasional treat.  They're a must.

It takes a whole regimen to keep my skin clear:

• DHC Deep Cleansing Oil followed by DHC Pure Soap

• Serious Skin Care's Glycolic Cleanser

• Serious Skin Care's C-Clean Cleanser

• MAC Volcanic Ash Exfoliator (sadly it is a limited edition product and is not currently available)

• Origins Modern Friction

• Clarisonic

I talked about some of these products in a Sister Showdown on Skin Cleansers a while back, but these products are so incredible I think they deserve another mention.  Let's start at the top with DHC Deep Cleansing Oil and Pure Soap.

I've been using the DHC Deep Cleansing Oil and DHC Pure Soap for years and years, and always come back to it.  Why?

• It works!  This oil cleanses more deeply than any other cleanser I can think of. Plus your skin feels incredibly soft afterward.

• It's gentle; there is none of the scratching or scraping that you can get from some scrubs.

• It's so simple!  It contains olive oil and vitamin E and rosemary leaf oil; not a long list of artificial this and fake that.

• It's economical.  It only takes one little pump to clean your whole face, so a 6.7 ounce bottle lasts a long long time, and costs only $25.

• DHC does not conduct animal testing.

To use Deep Cleansing Oil, I just dispense one pump into my palm, and apply to dry skin with my fingers.  I massage it around for a minute or so, and then add some water to make it slightly foamy.  I remove it with a wet washcloth, and then use the bar of Pure Soap to cleanse quickly with wet fingers to make sure there is no oil left behind. Rinse well and behold your clean skin!

I know what you're saying…”BigSis, I have oily skin and there is no way that I'm putting MORE oil on it!”  I thought exactly the same thing since I have oily skin too.  It hasn't been a problem whatsoever though.  Just remember, you're washing it off.  You're not sleeping in it.  And there's something magical about the way oil dissolves makeup, dirt and dirty pores that makes it worth a try!

Guess what? I'm not the only one who loves this Deep Cleansing Oil! I just heard that Valerie Bertinelli thinks DHC Deep Cleansing Oil is magical too and tells Prevention Magazine that it's a beauty must-have!  I'd agree with that!

~BigSis

October 1, 2010

It seems like I just blinked my eyes and September is gone. In my mind, it's still August, so I  can't believe that it's already October and time to start talking about the holidays.

(Is is just me or does time fly by faster the older you get?)

In September, I found myself in an extremely stressful situation and the stress and anxiety leading up to it and during it took a real toll on my body and my mind. By the time it was over, I was more mentally exhausted than ever before. This particular situation is mainly what led me to post this quote about anxiety and I've made the decision that I'm never going to let stress wreak havoc on my body like that again.

Since it's been a few weeks, I've managed to wrap my brain around the situation and I'm in the process of taking a serious look at priorities, opportunities, and the challenges that may lie ahead depending on which way I turn at that fork in the road.

Actually, for the past several months, I've been trying to deal with issues that aren't in my control and I'm learning to take one day at a time and live by the theory that everything happens for a reason.

I count my blessings every day and I'm trying harder to appreciate the little things in life and be grateful for what we have today. As we all know, everything can change in an instant. I'm making a conscious effort to live more in the present moment than to worry about what's going to happen next month.

There were a lot of great moments and lots of things that I LOVED during September. Here are just a few.

I don't have a photo of the big day, but our youngest grandson turned two last week and in a couple of months he will welcome home a baby brother!

Bry graduated with honors from his “A Training” class in Great Lakes last Friday. And the great news is that he got stationed in San Diego and will be here with us soon.

This was a great moment for me, even though a bit emotional. Last week, I had only been home from my trip for a few hours and Hay realized that it was a full moon so we hopped in the car and drove up the nearest hill so he could try to snap some shots of the moon.

When I saw him with his new camera and realized that he really is a natural and he has a great creative eye, I got out my phone and took this photo. (Apologies for the quality of the photo.) My dad was a photographer his entire life and I wish that he was here to see Hay follow in his footsteps. Hay's Pappy would be so proud.

Last weekend, I went on my first sailboat ride with some great friends and it was even more relaxing and peaceful than I ever could had imagined.

I loved that I had my camera ready when these four little dolphins popped up right next to the boat.

And this may seem really silly but I can't even explain how much I LOVE my new reusable Trader Joe's bag. It's perfect for toting around all my other reusable bags and for taking on an afternoon of errands to eliminate using a bunch of little plastic bags. I've even used it as an overnight bag already. I'm almost as happy with this new $1.99 bag as I would be if I just got a new Coach purse. 🙂

More things which made me smile:

• Going to dinner with BigSis while in Dallas
• Trader Joe's Lavender Tripled Milled Soap
• Spending half a day at the beach catching up on unread magazines
• Cheryl Tall's exhibition in Tucson, AZ
• Reaching into my nightstand one night and grabbing The Creativity Book by Eric Maisel
• Lisa Leonard's Creativity necklace
• My new Bath&Body Works Wallflower in Nutmeg & Kitchen Spice (now my house reminds me of BigSis' house)
• Ordering a pair of Sanuk Yoga Mat Sandals
• Going on a bike ride with my hubby
• Catching up with an old friend that I haven't talked to in months and felt like it was just days ago
• Discovering my new favorite vodka, Chopin
• These yoga pants covered in butterflies
• Celebrating a great friend's birthday over dinner and lots of laughs
• Trader Joe's Roasted Seaweed Snacks
• Laurie Mika's mixed media mosaics
• Back to School night at the HS (makes me feel like a kid again.)

I'm confident that October will bring more special moments and things that make me smile. I'd love to hear what makes you smile. 🙂 🙂

~LilSis