Thanks, BigSis! I wonder if I should ask my dermi about that Tazorac?  Do you have to stay completely out of  the sun if you are using that product?  If so, that would leave me out.  Remember when everyone went crazy over “The Stretch Mark Cream turned Anti-Wrinkle Phenomenon”,  StriVectin?  Of course, I had to try it.  I remember going to my dermatologist during that time and I got quite the lecture for using that product and exposing my face to the sun. I stopped using it immediately.

• Right now, I'm using Origins Night-A-Mins before bedtime. We are having very dry weather here and my skin feels really dry. This is a pretty rich night time cream, but I love it.  It smells really nice, goes on really well and doesn't make me break out. It's $33.50 for the jar, but I've had mine so long that they've actually redesigned the jar since I bought it last.  I tried the Night-A-Mins eye cream, but it was way too thick and heavy for my eyes.  (We've had the discussion about the puffy eye syndrome.)

Origins Night-A-Mins

• When my skin is feeling dry, like it is now, I use the Chanel Hydramax + Active Serum first thing in the morning.

Chanel Hydromax + Active Serum

I really love this product! I first tried it after receiving a sample from the Chanel counter.  I was leaving on a trip soon and the saleswoman told me how much she liked to use it before a flight. It really does feel like it helps to keep your skin hydrated. I fell in love with it instantly! Last time I ran out, it took me several months to replace it and I really missed it! The bottle retails for $75.00 for one ounce. Again, it's worth every penny to me.

• After several years of using this product as my every day moisturizer,  I'm still very happy with  Chanel Rectifiance Intense Retexturizing Line Correcting Fluid.

Chanel Rectifiance Intense

This moisturizer also has a SPF of 15, whereas a lot of moisturizers don't contain any sun protection. I usually buy it at Macy's for $96.00 for 1.7 ounces. For some reason this particular product isn't available on the Chanel website.  I found it on sale for $78.72 on scentmonkey.com.

• This isn't a moisturizer, but it's the last step in my daily skin care regimen, so I thought I would end with this product. I've used Prescriptives Traceless for several years now and have never felt the need to even try anything new.

Prescriptives Traceless

Prescriptives Traceless has a smooth, undetectable finish, yet covers just enough for me. I've never liked a heavy foundation. It also has a SPF of 8 for just a little added sun protection. This is so natural looking, most people don't even realize that you have on a foundation. It retails for $32.50 for one ounce.

Whew! That sums up my daily moisturizing routine, with the exception of an occasional hydrating mask. BigSis, you want to share your favorite masks and/or scrubs?

~LilSis

Posted under Beauty and Skin Care

Once you see everything there is to see on BigSisLilSIs today, you have to look at what CuteOverload.com posted on October 27th.  It's a pet costume extravaganza!  There are only 3 kitty-pie costumes and none of them are that full of cuteness, so come back on Friday for our Cats in Hats post.  To tide you over til then, check my favorites from CuteOverload:

Ewok Puppy

No explanation necessary!

We're not in Kansas any more, Toto!

The donut man kills me

There are lots more of these hilarious photos.  Let me just give you a little hint of what you'll find.  A boxer with completely inappropriate cleavage, perhaps?

~BigSis

Posted under Animals

It's been a month now since the Nasty Virus hopped on me, and 3 weeks since I got out of the hospital.  You'd think I'd be back to my usual workout schedule, but it hasn't happened that way.

• I was shocked to realize that after about 11 days with no physical activity whatsoever, I had not only lost weight – which I expected – but I had lost a lot of muscle.  I don't understand how it can take months of regular focused exercise to build muscle and muscle tone, but only 11 days to lose a huge percentage of it!?  Somebody needs to splain that to me!
• It was really jarring to me to realize how weak and puny I had become, when I had gone into this illness as a very strong and healthy person.  To walk up the stairs to my condo almost winded me, and to stand up after kneeling was a huge challenge for my quadriceps.
• And stamina?  Forget about it!  After sleeping 10 to 11 hours a night, I still woke up exhausted and struggled to work even half a day.

Those are the facts of the situation.  So what to do about that situation?  I NEEDED to get back to working out; both physically and mentally.  But how well should you feel before resuming exercise?  Should you start when you still feel crummy and build up super-gradually, or do you wait until you feel better to begin at all?  Meanwhile, how much more fitness would be lost?  I haven't really known the right thing to do, but I do know that my body is saying “I NEED EXERCISE!”

So off I went to the internet to do a little research about resuming exercise after an illness. Melanie at Healthy Eating Coach talks about the struggle of getting started again, and she reinforced my thoughts to walk first and then gradually add back in weights with more strenuous workouts much later.

There is a great article on TheBody.com which addresses the importance of listening to your body, resting without necessarily sleeping, getting back to your work routine before adding exercise back in, and eating well even if you don't feel like it.  Excellent advice!

The Denver Post also provides some excellent guidelines to follow when you're getting back to an exercise regimen.  I thought it was a great tip to work out at the gym during less crowded times, since your resistance to germs could still be diminished.

And lastly, I found that according to the National Institute of Health, exercise boosts the immune system. They say that:

• exercise flushes bacteria from the lungs
• exercise may flush out carcinogens (cancer-causing cells) by increasing output of waste
• exercise sends antibodies and white blood cells through the body at a faster rate
• bacterial growth may be reduced by the rise in body temperature when you exercise
• stress-related hormones that increase the risk of illness are reduced with exercise

I didn't know all of these things, did you?  These are all great reasons to get back on track!

After reading all this information and thinking it through, I decided that moderation and patience were the keys, as well as common sense.  This past weekend was gorgeous weather, and I couldn't stay indoors resting on the sofa one more day.  So my modified workout plan resumed.  Here's what I did:

• One hour walks outdoors last Saturday and Sunday at a slow pace
• Three trips to the gym during the week for walks on the treadmill at a medium pace
• One hour walks outdoors this Saturday and Sunday at a medium pace
• Plans for this week include stepping up the treadmill pace a bit and adding a few minutes to the workout, and adding a couple of light weight workouts.
• I also want to add back in my yoga and pilates workouts, but I'm trying not to overdo it so that may be placed on the agenda for next week if I'm up to it.  I feel like the first order of business should be to do the light cardio and build from there.

So far, it's feeling fantastic to be active again, even at a reduced level.  I can feel my muscles beginning to wake up a little, and they're very happy about it!  Hopefully this process will continue to go smoothly.  It's been an exercise in patience, if nothing else!  How about you?  Have you had this experience, and how did you handle it?

~BigSis

Posted under Health

Actually, that's not exactly true. At least it isn't the whole story. ShiKai Borage Therapy Dry Skin Lotion isn't just the best vegan body lotion I've ever used. It's the best body lotion I've ever used, period. Vegan or non-vegan, it's the best by a mile.

What's so great about it? It works!

The bottle claims that instead of working on the skin's surface, Borage Therapy works at the cellular level, fighting the cause of dry skin and healing it.

It also claims to relieve dry itchy skin quickly, and says that the skin will retain moisture to become healthier and more supple.

I don't claim to know what's happening to my skin at the cellular level, but here's what I do know for sure:

• My skin is softer and smoother than I've observed with any other body lotion.

• The softness stays. Even though there is no stickiness or greasiness, this lotion keeps working. When I shower the next day, I can feel a soothing layer of healing lotion rinsing from my skin. I didn't even know it was still there, but it was still doing it's thing.

• When I apply ShiKai Borage Therapy, it sinks in immediately. It doesn't go white on my skin, and it doesn't take a while to absorb into the skin. Who has time in the morning to wait on your body lotion to absorb before you can get dressed for work? Not me.

• I use the lightly-fragranced variety, and I love the scent. It's a very soft, almost citrusy scent. There is also an unscented formula if that's your preference.

• There are no animal ingredients and no animal testing is used. Sweet!

I found ShiKai Borage Therapy at my favorite hippie health food store, but you can also find it at Whole Foods, through ShiKai's web site, or at Amazon.com at a great price. I highly recommend it if you want to say goodbye to dry skin!

~BigSis

Posted under Beauty and Skin Care