I Can Vouch for That

I know I just did one of these posts but I forgot about a couple things and discovered a few things that warrant mentioning. Everyday when I use these items I have this urge that I really need to tell everyone about them asap so in order to clear my conscience and lay my mind at rest, here are some more of my favorite things:

CoverGirl LashBlast Volume Mascara: I know. I know. I just barely posted about the CoverGirl LashBlast Length Mascara and I still support my original review. In my defense I did say I'd probably try this one too, so this is more of a follow-up... moving on. The second I put this stuff on I was in love. The brush loads with the perfect amount of mascara and it made my lashes look gigantic. And it separated them evenly as well! Just like the Length mascara this one did a good job of not flaking off during the day. So it's my new favorite! I prefer this one over the Length mascara, but you may not feel the same. The brush on the Volume mascara is really fat and not as easy to control as the skinnier Length wand. It also applies more mascara on each stroke so you don't have as much control over the amount applied as the Length. If you want more of a "va-va-voom" look, go for the Volume mascara. If you like a more natural look and/or you don't think you'd like a fat wand, go for the Length mascara. Either way you can't lose.

Cococare Cocoa Butter Lip Balm: My lips are always chapped and peeling. It drives me crazy. I've tried just about every chapstick out there looking for something that would actually work. While reading about the Palmer's Cocoa Butter Lotion that I love, I came across a review of some lip balm/chapstick from the same company saying how awesome it was. Unfortunately I couldn't find the lip balm anywhere. While on our Houston trip, Seth and I made a run over to a Walgreens and on a whim I checked to see if they had cocoa butter lip balm. Score! It wasn't the Palmer's brand, but it was cocoa butter so I gave it a shot. This stuff rocks! It actually works and my lips have never been so soft and chap-free! I don't know what I'm going to do when I run out... probably have to buy it online (or make another trip to Houston...), but it's worth it!

PowerBody Kettlebell Bootcamp: I'm just going to start by saying I LOVE KETTLEBELLS. They are tough but fun to work with and I've seen results from them very quickly. I originally bought my 10lb. kettlebell a couple years ago, but put it aside for a long time because the workout was crappy and the moves seemed too hard. The DVD that came with the kettlebell I bought was called 'GoFit: Kettlebells the Iron Core Way.' It was terrible. I do not recommend it. The instructor was annoying and she paused for 30 seconds between every single exercise. So, I bought this PowerBody DVD to give the kettlebell one more shot. It was awesome! Every time I do this workout I'm sore for days afterward. It's tough but I can already tell I'm getting a lot stronger. And I think they're fun to work with. I started out with a 10lb. bell and it's enough for me now. I'm planning on upgrading to a 15lb. bell once I get a little bit stronger, but I'm holding off for now because they are a little pricey (around $40 I think). But, they are very versatile. I've used them in other workouts in place of regular hand weights and even in place of a medicine ball.

Cast Iron Cookware: This item was introduced to me by my friends, Heidi & Paul. Paul especially is big on cooking and loved his cast iron pans. So what did they do? They got me one for my birthday! I use this thing almost every single day. It is a great size, heats evenly, and is unbeatable when it comes to browning. I've used it for sauteing onions, grilling steaks and salmon, and for pretty much anything else I can fit into it. It's oven safe and easy to clean and has a nice tight-fitting lid to go with it. When I get more room in my kitchen I'm going to add a few more of these babies.

Velcro Hair Rollers:  I've had my velcro rollers for a long time but used them only intermittently until recently. I've been using them every single day because they make my hair look so good. They are super fast and easy to use and make my hair come out perfect every time. My hair isn't very thick and is fine and oily so my hair usually looks pretty crappy by the end of the day... unless I use these. They give my hair lots of volume and it's easy to control just how curly or straight I want my hair to be. To use these I just dry my hair like usual, roll my hair up how I want it and heat each curler for a few seconds with the blow dryer on high heat at a low speed setting. Then I finish getting ready while my hair cools (5 minutes or so) and then pull them out, give my head a shake, and I'm done! I figure there is a lot less heat damage using these than a straightener or curling iron and my hair usually turns out better anyway. I always feel much prettier when I've used these... like I'm on one of those shampoo commercials!