Miss Anne in Harlem by Carla Kaplan

When I saw this book on the review list and read the little synop, I thought how interesting. This is something that I never had heard of and I am fascinated with the women of the 1920-30’s..thank you, Downtown Abbey.  Women started to come into their own during those times and it wasn’t easy. So many obstacles, and yet these white women took on even more as they made their way into the lives of black men and women. Intriguing.

First off, it is a big, thick book full of history. Also, you should know that “Miss Anne” is just a name that was given to white women who got involved in black politics, art and philanthropy during the twenties & thirties.

Kaplan gives us history behind several of these women, one of which was Nancy Cunard, heiress to the steamship company wealth.  Another Josephine Schuyler was the daughter of a Klansman and wife to journalist George Schuyler, who was black.

These women lent their money and time and in some cases notoriety to black causes. They seemed full of good intentions but were they taken seriously? Not always according to Kaplan.  Some were viewed as agitators, some as women who were sexually deviant. 

This book, a history book really, was so full of information that it took me a while to read it. If you are looking for some mind-ful stimulation this winter as we get “stuck inside” by the weather, try this one.                                                                                                                                    

authentic skin REMEDIES

I have been sampling a new skin care line called  authentic skin REMEDIES.  Seven products in all , all very easy to understand and use….all great products made from minerals, plant extracts and vitamins.

 I started the process by using one of the products at night, called ENRICH. (I told you they were easy to understand) I was told by a skin care expert that serums were where I should be spending my money at my age, so I am always interested to try a new one. Applied at night,  washed it off in the morning with REFINE, which is a natural exfoliant.. My skin was very supple and  smooth ..no dry spots. SOOTHE is a cooling masque, very nice after exfoliating. REPLENISH is a masque with moisturizers to hydrate and nourish.  Plumped my skin, fine lines disappeared.  

CLEANSE is a gel , which gently cleanses without leaving skin dry.  Leaves the skin ready to absorb moisturizer, RENEW.

I think my favorite product is BALANCE. It is a sea water mineral mist that you can refresh your skin and hair with. You can use it before you apply serum or moisturizers but I like to spritze it mid-day while I am at the office.  It refreshes and gives me a lift  at the time of day that I need one!!

All in all great new line , great new products.

Please check out their website www.authenticskin.com for more information.

Time Warped by Claudia Hammond

As I have mentioned before, I read alot of fiction, but every once in a while I like to throw in a book of science or a biography, a memoir, something to shake things up. Time Warped is just what I needed.
Throw out all your ideas about what time is..this book will clear up plenty of misconceptions.
Why does life speed up as we get older? Why does the clock in our head sometimes move at a different speed from the one on the wall? We have all heard the old adage, a watched pot never boils..and it is true. Waiting in line 'takes forever" , waiting for a train to pass..same. We all have had these feelings about time, why do we? Can we retrain our brain to improve our relationship with time.
A couple of interesting things I learned by reading Hammond's book..1) that there is no organ in our body that keeps time. 2) That there is a species of Hummingbird that can accurately time a flowers replenishment of nectar/ which is  every 20 minutes. Amazing.

Loved the chapter about why time speeds up as we get older.  i.e.: While a week with nothing planned stretches ahead of you if you are eleven and it is summer vacation...as an adult, in the hopes of redecorating your house and before you are even halfway through, the week has rushed past.
Time has an impact on memory, memory shapes our experience of time. To make sense of our memories we rely on time  to link us to events , and develop a timeline. What intrigues Hammond about the sensation of time speeding up is that it is something we often discuss, but to which we never seem to become accustomed.
If you are looking for something just plain interesting to read, this is the book!

At the Bottom of Everything by Ben Dolnick

A very well written novel, At the Bottom of Everything is the first book by this author that I have read. In the beginning it looks like a story about a junior high/high school friendship, Adam & Tom, kids that became very close. Adam comes from a broken home, has a new stepdad. Tom comes from intellectual parents, just the sort that Adam relishes. So Adam starts spending all his time at the Pells' with Tom, two peas in a pod, more like brothers. Basically two good teenage boys, learning about girls, getting into very little mischief. Adam is the more social of the two and when he gets into sports and starts hanging with different kids, the friendship starts to fade.
One night trying to recapture the friendship, the two are involved in an accident that will change their lives forever. A guilty secret that they keep, decides which way these two lives will move forward, on separate paths.
Tom Pell heads into a spiral of mental illness, Adam Sanecki's life just never gets on track. A chance meeting with Pell's parents sets Adam on a journey to India in a search for his lost  friend. 
A very intricate tale is woven by author Dolnick. Is it guilt from the secret that has directed these two lives, the lives of Pell's parents, as well? What a person will go through to keep another from revealing a devastating secret..is this the motive for Adam? The last few chapters of this book are fast paced and written so that the reader can feel the panic build...and you do. At the Bottom of Everything..good read. 

SPA SONIC SKIN CARE SYSTEM FACE & BODY POLISHER

Have you ever seen the info-mercials with a certain soap star toting her micro-dermabrasion skin care system? Her skin is lovely  and I want to try it but just couldn't get up the nerve. Something about putting those rough looking crystals on a buffer and going to town on my face just didn't appeal to me, no matter how good she looked. 
But for the last couple of weeks, I've had the chance to try the Spa Sonic  Skin Care System and let me tell you there is nothing rough about it! The brushes are as soft as a baby's..well you get the idea :)
The brush head has four attachments: a small brush for face, a larger brush for body, a pumice (this I love for my feet!) and a facial sponge for smoothing on lotions. 
I brought it right into the shower with me, used the facial brush with my regular face cleanser, loved using the soapy soft body brush on my legs before shaving, loved-loved the pumice on my feet. When I got out of the shower, I just wiped it all down and put it back in the box. 
I can honestly say that my skin looked polished and shiny clean but didn't feel dry. Being able to use my regular skin care products is a big plus. My moisturizers absorbed sooo fast, I could start my make up right away. 
The price is right  and it is convenient to find. It is retailing for $60.00 and you can buy it at Target, Walgreens or online at www.drugstore.com. It is available in white, pink, and lavender..comes with a battery pack AND two facial brushes. 
A winner!

Help with the Cure

Exclusive Deal to Benefit Breast Cancer Awareness and Treatment, This Week Only  

Spa Sonic joins in the fight against breast cancer, a disease that affects one in eight American women.  15% of all sales on October 1^st – October 3^rd will be donated to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation.  Here are all the details:   

Spa Sonic: Skin Care System Face & Body Polisher
Original: $69

Exclusive Deal: $34.50
50% savings

Valid: 10/1/13
bca.myspasonic.com
(Promo code: GMA)

Treat yourself to an at-home spa experience that will make your skin feel silky smooth. Exfoliate, cleanse and smooth with this 7-piece face and full body kit. The waterproof device makes it easy to clean your face while in the shower and the dermal penetrating action allows the skin to rapidly absorb your skin care products. The Spa Sonic helps in tightening pores, reducing dark spots and removing dead skin. Limit 2 per person. Shipping is $9.95.

Join the Fight Against Breast Cancer, Be Adventuress

 

Adventuress, the skincare collection created for women on-the-go by outdoors enthusiast Michele Carter, is partnering with Bike4BreastCancer, a non-profit organization that provides women in low-income areas with the opportunity for pre-screenings, education and receive treatment for breast cancer.

From now until the end of October, Adventuresswill donate $1 from each Vividly Restorative Purifier purchase to the Bike4BreastCancerinitiative. The Vividly Restorative Purifier ($35) hydrates and firms skin while unblocking pores with the power of the quince seed and other naturally occurring fruit and plant extracts. Restore the look of skin for a youthful radiance morning, noon or night with the Vividly Restorative Purifier.

The Vividly Restorative Purifier and other Adventuress products are available atwww.goadventuress.com. For more information on Bikes4BreastCancer, please visit www.bike4breastcancer.org

Winning From Within by Erica Ariel Fox

LIFE is a series of negotiations. From insignificant daily decisions to major life choices, you negotiate every time you aim to persuade, argue over a decision or resolve a conflict. THe most important negotiations are the ones we have with ourselves..so says author Fox.
I found Fox to have a very interesting philosophy regarding the struggles a person has trying to make a decision, or decide to leave a relationship,  or take a new job..or even to take a stand on an issue. I had read a similar book long ago about all the different characters that reside in a person. Author Fox describes them as four negotiators..the Warrior, the Lover, The Dreamer and the Thinker. At any given time any one of these four can be dominant and react to a situation a person is facing.
I know you have met a person who is brusk, a take charge kind of person, one who dominates in a meeting or at work. This person operates through the warrior negotiator, which is fine as long as it is not the ONLY negotiator they use. We all have met people who are dreamers or brainiacs or over thinkers, or bleeding hearts..we all have these qualities inside..they all operate within us, we should be looking for a balance of all four according to Fox. Now, if this all sounds like psycho babble, trust me , it isn't and you will get it when you read the book. I have found this new insight helpful and plan to re-read the book, so that I can make some changes. I found that I lean more toward the dreamer & the lover when I need to make decisions and I need to add a good dose of thinker and warrior to my mix.
If you are looking for a good constructive read for October, this is it :)