Jeffrey James Botonicals-THE GIFT

So...this day face cream is named THE GIFT...and I absolutely swear this is exactly how I feel about this product. It is THE BEST face cream I have EVER used. My skin has done a complete turn around in about 10 days...I am giddy. My skin is smooth, no overnight break outs..it looks and feels soooo good.
So this is what's in it:

Alpine Rose Stem Cell

• Promote the vitality and longevity of your skin stem cells. It strengthens the skin barrier, providing anti-aging benefits of increased hydration and better protection to the skin against the daily environmental stresses of UV, dryness, and cold temperatures.  Protecting vital skin stem cells delays skin aging for stunning clarity and a more youthful appearance.

Amino Acids

• The building blocks of life, amino acids supply nutrients and strengthen connective tissues improving skin elasticity.

Botanical Hyaluronic Acid (Cassis Angustifolia Seed Polysaccharide)

• Hyaluronic acid cold pressed from the seed of the flower, hydrates and nourishes your skin.  Helps to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and improve the texture of your skin.

Glycolic Acid

• Beautifully derived from simple sugars in fruits, glycolic acid gently promotes skin cell turnover so your fresh healthy skin cells can emerge.  Appearance of fine lines and wrinkles is reduced, your radiant youthful glow revealed.

Vitamin B5

• Powerful antioxidant which provides skin softness and a smoother appearance.  Promotes healing and fights free radicals.

Please do yourself a favor. Start the year off right. Look your absolute best in 2016. Go to the website: jeffreyjamesbotanicals.com and order this face cream and look at the other products. I am very anxious to try the exfoliant!

Mendicino Fire by Elizabeth Tallent

Just reading "No One You Know", tells me author Tallent knows us all very well. The story of a hidden affair and divorce, and then the moving on... but not quite...
Very well written short stories about relationships of all kinds. It's time to make a winter reading list, and you can start with this one:)

Read what the publisher, Harper Collins, has to say...

The long-awaited return of a writer of rare emotional wisdom.
The son of an aging fisherman becomes ensnared in a violent incident that forces him to confront his broken relationship with his father. A woman travels halfway across the country to look for her ex-husband, only to find her attention drawn in a surprising direction. A millworker gives safe harbor to his son's pregnant girlfriend, until an ambiguous gesture upsets their uneasy equilibrium. These and other stories—of yearning, loss, and tentative new connections—come together in Mendocino Fire, the first new collection in two decades from the widely admired Elizabeth Tallent.
Diverse in character and setting, rendered in an exhilarating, exacting prose, these stories confirm Tallent's enduring gift for capturing relationships in moments of transformation: marriages breaking apart, people haunted by memories of old love and reaching haltingly toward new futures. The result is a book that reminds us how our lives are shaped by moments of fracture and fragmentation, by expectations met and thwarted, and by our never-ending quest to be genuinely seen.

the Art of Memoir by Mary Karr

I have always thought my life would make a great book, and I am even more sure that I could write it  after reading Mary Karr's Memoir. She's an inspiring teacher.

Harper Collins says :

Credited with sparking the current memoir explosion, Mary Karr’s The Liars’ Club spent more than a year at the top of the New York Times list. She followed with two other smash bestsellers: Cherry and Lit, which were critical hits as well.
For thirty years Karr has also taught the form, winning teaching prizes at Syracuse.  (The writing program there produced such acclaimed authors as Cheryl Strayed, Keith Gessen, and Koren Zailckas.) In The Art of Memoir, she synthesizes her expertise as professor and therapy patient, writer and spiritual seeker, recovered alcoholic and “black belt sinner,” providing a unique window into the mechanics and art of the form that is as irreverent, insightful, and entertaining as her own work in the genre.
Anchored by excerpts from her favorite memoirs and anecdotes from fellow writers’ experience, The Art of Memoir lays bare Karr’s own process. (Plus all those inside stories about how she dealt with family and friends get told— and the dark spaces in her own skull probed in depth.) As she breaks down the key elements of great literary memoir, she breaks open our concepts of memory and identity, and illuminates the cathartic power of reflecting on the past; anybody with an inner life or complicated history, whether writer or reader, will relate.
Joining such classics as Stephen King’s On Writing and Anne Lamott’s Bird by Bird, The Art of Memoir is an elegant and accessible exploration of one of today’s most popular literary forms—a tour de force from an accomplished master pulling back the curtain on her craft.

miniOrganics Skin Care

Organic skincare products from Australia, award-winning certified organic products for moms to be and babies...BUT they are really just wonderful for anyone with sensitive skin.
For baby there are gentle washes and oils,  infused with delicate lavender and chamomile, these products are as gentle and soft as a baby's skin. For mom, gentle skin care for skin that has gone through so many changes during pregnancy, oils and moisturizers to help get skin back to normal after the baby is born. Go to miniorganics.com to see all of the great products. They make wonderful gifts for mom and baby:)

Kensington Apothecary Rose Oil Cleanser

My skin has always been oily, prone to break outs if I wasn't careful. I have used  many products for oily skin that would dry it out, I  thought that was what I was supposed to be doing. I read a beauty article about rose oil cleanser, but I never in a million years would have thought I would use one.
Until an opportunity came to sample and review Kensington Apothecary's Rose Oil cleanser.
It comes in a nice pump bottle. The ingredient list is loaded with organic oils: apricot kernel, olive seed oil, sunflower oil. and of course rose otto (oil). The fragrance is very delicate rose and while you are taking a few minutes to massage the oil all over your face, you get a bit of aromatherapy, too.
What I did was fill my bathroom sink with nice warm water and using a white cotton facecloth, I began removing the oil and removing all my make up with it! It feels like you are having a mini spa moment. The oil lifts out dirt and makeup and traps it..the warm water and cloth remove all of it from your face, leaving it sooo soft and ready for your nighttime serum. You have just got to try it !
Have a look at their website kensingtonapothecary.com to order products.

Summer Must Haves...

Two skin care lines that I love...first, MST or Miracle Skin Transformer. You have read reviews of other MST products on my blog and these two will be no different. Rave reviews,
MST's BODY Tinted Beauty Balm is a  must have year round beauty balm, really. Firms, protects, hydrates, illuminates and it is tinted. The color I got was Bronze and it is wonderful for a summer's day out in the sun and then a night  under the disco ball :) Improves the overall look of your skin, helps support skin's natural production of collagen, hydrates your skin, age spots appear diminished, promotes skin firmness and best of all your skin glows, looks younger and brighter. Use on your legs in that mini and on your shoulders and decollette in that low V tee. Love.

MST's Miracle Mud is a skin restoring mud mask, that I now use twice a week. Never thought I would use a mud mask, they just never looked like much fun. Invigorates, soothes, detoxifies, hydrates, firms, ant-age..it's got it all. It is not a thick clay mask, it is like whipped cream. No kidding, soft and luxurious going on and you can feel your pores tighten while it dries, and it comes off with a warm rinse. Easy Peasy.
www.miracleskintransformer,com

Another wonderful brand is EmerginC scientific organics. I am using the body butter. Loaded with grape stem cell, white tea and seaweed, aloe, shea butter ,jojoba, spirulina and vitamins A, C & E. It's a power house of natural ingredients. Soothes, nourishes, and moisturizes anywhere you use it. Favorites for me? Feet, elbows and knees, after I have played around in sand all day. Let's face it, in summer we are exposed to the sun and surf for a few months...we need hydrating. And it smells so fresh and citrusy...yum.
www.emerginc.com

Elle by Emma Mars

Ok ladies, hang on to your knickers! Author Emma Mars ( a pseudonym ) has written book number two of a steamy trilogy. Her first novel titled Hotelles, introduced us to Elle, a lady of the evening who meets and then plans to marry her knight in shining armor. Those plans end up on the floor  like her crumpled wedding dress.
So as novel number two begins, we find Elle, hold up in the Hotel dues Charmes with a new man..her former fiancé's brother....
"In a hotel room in Paris, a young woman named Elle experiences the most exquisite freedom and sensual pleasure she has ever known, thanks to Louie, the man who has conquered her completely.
So many things in her life had changed since they first met. Her engagement to Louie's deceptive brother, David, has been broken. Her mother has died. Yet Elle is wholly fulfilled with Louie, the master who heightens her senses and unleashes her deep, seductive power. In the alluring Hotel des Charmes, Louie takes Elle beyond her wildest fantasies. In sublime self abandonment she discovers absolute ecstasy, absolute sweetness, absolute desire. Then David unexpectedly returns, stirring up painful memories and threatening their bliss. Elle fears her education may soon be over.....She does not understand that it has only just begun." (Harper)
Oh my! this novel Elle is not for the faint of heart. I am warning you, you will blush but you will keep reading :) Elle is well written and you keep reading because you need to know how this messy love triangle will end.
I am anxiously awaiting the last part of the trilogy. In the meantime, get to the bookstore and pick up Hotelles & Elle. Then head to the beach and sit on your towel and dig your toes into the sand. But, have a bucket of
water close by..you will need to spritz some on to cool yourself down ;)

MicrodermMD by Trophy Skin

I  get a lot of compliments on my skin, and I always say thank you. I usually attribute it to well applied makeup:) But there is really more to it. I use moisturizers, exfoliators, serums, masks, eye creams...you name it, I have tried it. And there is a lot to be said for these products. I do visit my dermatologist for an annual check up ( lots of sun spots!) but never have been to an esthetician. I have wondered about microdermabrasion for the last few years...hearing great things about it. The thought of a chemical peel scares me, but softly buffing my skin to get rid of fine lines and dark pigmented spots really appealed to me. I wanted my skin to have that 'polished' look.
So when the opportunity came to test a home dermabrasion machine, I took it. I kept my expectations low because I had read some reviews of home machines and they were less than stellar. But then...
My MicrodermMD was delivered. Took it out of the box and marveled at how cool it looks...professional. Took the instruction booklet and read it cover to cover and then re-read it. Let me stop right here and say this is the most important step in this process, don't go off willy-nilly and turn it on without reading the instructions. I also went online and watched a video, which was really helpful. I started by using the auto mode, which is what Trophy Skin recommends for beginners, and also, I had no idea how my skin would react. The first time I used it, I was truly a beginner but now 5x in, I am an old pro. My skin has never looked or felt better. So smooth, and my pores look smaller. Of course I am still using all my lotions and potions, but now I think they are working better. Right now I am using MicrodermMD  every two weeks and that seems to work for me. Some use it more. some use is less..it is all according to your own skin type. So what results can you expect?  What I see is smoother, more polished skin. Fine lines are starting to disappear, and my darker spots are starting to get lighter. My dull, tired skin looks so much better, fresh and younger looking. I have started using it on my hands, too. Loving the results there! MicrodermMD has earned a top spot in my skincare regimen, don't want to be without it.
For more information and instructions on use , go to www.trophyskin.com

Mia Beauty 's Flashion Flowers Headband

Mia Beauty has done it again. They continue to be my go- to hair accessory company. Love the new Flashion Flowers headbands. I just love wearing flowers in my hair in summer anyway, it is a great pick me up and conversation starter, especially when you have been on the beach all day and are meeting the  girls after. A flower headband is perfect to pull your beach wavy hair off your face..but this one has a tad more fun added. Press one of the pretty green leaves and you brighten right up..literally!

Tiny twinkle lights add a great amount of fun to this headband, yes twinkle lights!

Think of all the places to wear one and stand out this summer...festivals, BBQ's, night-time beach walks..and why not for all those great girls at the bachelorette party ?

 

Head to miabeauty.com to check out the Flashion Flowers headbands or their other great hair accessories.

 

 

Summer Reading.... Here we come!!

 Towel, check. Sunscreen, check. Cold beverage, check. Sand & Surf, check. Great books, CHECK!
If you love a good mystery than pick up a copy of Orient by Christopher Bollen. Orient is a town on the North Fork of Long Island. One late summer morning, the body of a local caretaker is found in the open water...the same day a monstrous animal carcass is found washed up on the beach. With rumors flying, eyes turn to Mills Chevern- a tumbleweed orphan newly arrived in town from the West. As the deaths continue and fear in town escalates, Mills is enlisted by Beth, an Orient native in retreat from Manhattan, to help her uncover the truth. With the clock ticking, Mills and Beth struggle to find answers, faced with a killer they may not be able to outsmart. Suspense until the last few pages !!!

Dark Sparkler by Amber Tamblyn ...Tamblyn is an award winning actress and a contributing writer for the Poetry Foundation. As such, she is deeply fascinated and intimately familiar with the toll exacted on young women whose lives are offered in sacrifice as starlets. The stories of these actresses, both famous and obscure, inspired this empathetic and emotionally charged collection of new poetic work. Excellent reading.

Every guidebook in Paris is crammed with sites to see during the day, but visitors are abandoned once the sun sets and The Louvre, Notre Dame and other tourists attractions shut their doors. Sadly for those tucked in their hotel rooms, it's only when darkness falls that the real Paris emerges. Enter John Baxter, tour guide and author of the lovely 'The Most Beautiful Walk in the World'.  This time he takes us on a night-time adventure, fully utilizing all five senses. Whether it is exploring Paris' great jazz clubs, sampling foods from the eclectic restaurants and bakeries of the Marais or visiting  an infamous former opium fumery, Baxter brings Paris to his readers. A must read for these summer nights.

Visit your local book store or find these great books on line. Visit HarperCollins.com for more information.

Topganic Haircare Giveaway !!!

Description of my hair before Topganic: fine, thin, limp and dry..after Topganic: soft, shiny, HEALTHY again. Never would I have thought I could use a product with argan oil on my fine hair. Oil on my hair, no way. Only girls with thick, perfect hair can get away with that! Well, I have been proven wrong. I am so happy with my hair right now...and compliments? Friends keep asking if I have a new style, new highlights, new cut? I very happily say.." no, just washed it".

Enriched with argan oil from Morocco, Topganic Argan Oil Haircare is designed for dry and color treated hair. With high levels of fatty acids, argan oil helps stimulate the scalp while countering drying and loss of elasticity of the hair..aiding in the prevention of dry, dull hair and split ends.

The shampoo is enriched with argan oil, vitamin E, Dead Sea minerals. It gently cleanses while maintaining hair's natural moisture level. Leaves hair soft, healthy and shiny.

So, I am using the shampoo with argan oil, matching conditioner and the Intensive Oil..yes I m working the oil into my hair after towel drying..crazy right? After blowing it out, I have great hair..that's how I describe it !! And did I mention full, not thin and limp?

Love these products..and I want you to have a chance to love them , too. I have  a GIVEAWAY...

Some lucky follower will win a Topganic Haircare Kit. Just follow the instructions: 1) Must follow my Queen Bee's Buzz Blog and comment on this giveaway, 2) Must like my Queen Bee's Buzz Facebook Page and 3) Must like Topganic's Facebook page. It is as easy as that. Winner will be drawn on May 21st..Good Luck !!

Check out Topganic's website for other great haircare products, www.topganic.com.  

 

 

 

Robin's Nest Egg Bracelet Giveaway !!

I love this multi-colored beaded wrap bracelet by Robin's Nest Egg and it can be yours!
All you need to do is 1)sign up to follow my blog and 2) then comment on what you like about the bracelet, 3)then go to Facebook and like Queen Bee's Buzz page & 4) like Robin's Nest Egg page (have a look at the beautiful bracelets on the page) and a winner will be drawn on May 9th! As easy as that. Good Luck everyone.



 
 
 



 

 

A Little Bit of "heaven" !

How lucky am I to be able to get samples of Deborah Mitchell's heaven skincare. I have read about her bee venom products and have heard many celebrities have been swearing by them. I can see why. I am loving the Peppermint Clarifying Hydrogel. such a great product for those hot summer days. It is oil-free, balances oil secretions, closes pores, restores moisture and gives skin a radiant glow.

Hydro Cleansing Milk is an anti-aging cleanser. It contains Vitamin E, and essential oils like lavender and rosemary.

New Edition Cleansing Cream is a bee venom product, first in the world. Bee venom is an anti-aging ingredient. As a cleanser it removes makeup from skin and eyes.

 
Now, as I said I have read up on the bee venom products and from what I understand, if you have a bee allergy, you may want to steer clear of these products. But it is always best to talk to a doctor if you have any questions. I loved the luxurious feel of these skin care products..loved the hydrogel and its refreshing feeling.

Please go to the website: heavenskincare.com for more information about the products and ordering info.

The Jesus Cow/Michael Perry

New York Times best selling humorist  Michael Perry makes his fiction debut with this hilarious and big hearted tale , a comic yet sincere exploration of faith and the foibles of modern life blends the barbed charm of Garrison Keillor, the irreverent humor of Christopher Moore, and the audacious insight of Chuck Klosterman. (Harper Collins Publisher)

This is a story of a big hearted Wisconsin farm boy, Harley Jackson, who mostly minds his own business, bumps along in life..and is surrounded by some crazy characters who make up the small town of Swivel. Margaret, the religious woman who owns the local scrap metal shop ..Carolyn, the "environmentalist/activist...friend Billy who lives in a cat filled trailer on the farm and Klute Sorensen, the developer who bought part of his farm land when Harley's dad needed money to keep the farm running..and many more town folk that fill this book with humor and quirky country life.
And then...his milk cow delivers a calf, on Christmas Eve, with the distinct image of Jesus on it's side..and just like that,  all hell breaks lose! Word gets out, Hollywood comes to Swivel and changes life for Harley and everyone he knows.
This book is funny, well written, interesting and thought provoking. It is about family and childhood beliefs, friendships and community service.
Due out next month, it needs to make your reading list.

After The Dance by Jan Gaye

Every once in a while, I like to read a celebrity memoir. It is interesting to see into the lives of those we see on the big screen, or rock stars that have lived that rock'n'roll life..glitter, glam, glory...
Jan Gaye, second wife of soul singer Marvin Gaye, has written about her life with the super star and it is a real eye opener.
They met when she was just seventeen, he was thirty four. He was also married to Berry Gordy's sister, Anne. They were the powerhouse duo running Motown records and managing Gaye's career.
Her mother was a drug addict, who had left her in a "foster home" with an abusive woman. When she was fourteen she moved back home with her mother, and as she tells it, they were drug buddies. It was her mother who took her to a recording studio to hear Marvin Gaye..basically offering her young  daughter to him. At seventeen. The two lovers moved in together and  received the wrath of Anne Gordy, someone Gaye couldn't quite give up. By the time she was 21, Jan had given Marvin two children.  Drugs and sex fueled their relationship, as his music climbed the charts. It was like watching a train wreck, as I read each chapter..Marvin Gaye for all his music and talent, really didn't have two cents in the bank. It was all spent on drugs and lackeys and bad decisions. Really, at the end of the book I wondered how Jan had survived..because I knew Marvin hadn't.
A real glimpse into the excesses of the sixties and seventies, this book will certainly satisfy a taste for celebrity gossip,,as Jan Gaye drops quite a few names.
The book will be published mid-May..just in time to take it to the beach on Memorial weekend. And like a fan magazine, you won't be able to put it down until you have flipped through all the pages.

Mia Beauty Clip'N'Bun

Mia Beauty has done it again with these fun braided clip
on buns.  I think it is going to be great for summer hair, when you have been at the beach all day..have sunscreen in your hair , salt, sand, whatever..just pull your hair back tight, stick the bun on it and clip it in. Instant chic..maxi dress, sandals, big sunglasses and big straw bag...I can just see it.
And because Mia Beauty is all about the fun..buy two Clip'n'Bun s and you are Princess Leia just in time for the new Star Wars movie :)
You need to go to Mia Beauty website and see all the great hair accessories..it is a great place to shop!
www.miabeauty.com

Spring Forward with Scalisi Skin Care/Give Away

It is time to spring forward..on the clocks and in our skin care. Here in the North East we have had a record amount of snow and cold weather, that means the heat was turned up and  the air has been very dry ..wreaking havoc on our skin! So it's time to slough off those dry , irritated skin cells and Scalisi has the product to do it.
Scalisi Cleanser and Exfoliator is for all skin types. It cleanses and exfoliates with micro beads, while not stripping your skin of valuable moisture. Packed with vitamins A, C and E it helps nourish and provides antioxidant protection with jojoba, macadamia nut and sunflower oils.
(paraben free, too)
We will all be using bronzer on our faces very soon and exfoliating is a must! I use Scalisi C & E in the shower every morning because I like to use the steam to really open my pores for cleansing. After I get out and apply my moisturizer, I can feel my skin drink it in..no dead skin cells to block it!
**I AM HAPPY TO ANNOUNCE THAT THIS IS MY FIRST BLOG GIVEAWAY!! IN ORDER TO ENTER YOU MUST SIGN ON/JOIN  MY BLOG "QBEESBUZZ.BLOGSPOT.COM AND THEN ALSO LIKE MY FACEBOOK PAGE QUEEN BEE'S BUZZ. PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT ON EITHER, LETTING ME KNOW HOW YOU PLAN TO SPRING FORWARD!**
Go to Scalisi Skincare at www.scalisiskincare.com, to order and see other great products.

Mary Kay ? Yes, Mary Kay !

I NEED to tell you about the best eye creams I have used.... ever and believe me I have tried many..and some of them were very good. But this combination of eye creams that I have used for the last ten days gave me remarkable results. Frankly, I was shocked.
I used Mary Kay make up for a while many years ago, too many to tally. Back then,  a friend had a Mary Kay party and I bought some of the make up. (I love make up,,I have been wearing make up since I was 13 yrs old., when Twiggy showed me how to apply those big Twiggy lashes LOL.)
 At the time, I am sure I used the make up and then moved on to the next new trend.  To be honest, I hadn't heard Mary Kay mentioned for years, until just recently. I was given a samples of MK indulge soothing eye gel  & timewise firming eye cream and told to use them together. So, I have been using the gel at night and firming cream for day.  I was really blown away that after only a few days, my under eye was less puffy and then I noticed that my under eye skin was firmer and not so crepey. And believe me, right before I had tried these products, I was so discouraged with the look of my eyes. I have been using  them together and that is what I recommend.
Both products are loaded with botanicals known to soothe and brighten skin. I haven't tried putting the gel in the fridge, but that is something I am going to try. I am soooo happy with my results. As I write this, I am secretly running my finger ( gently) under my eye just to confirm that yes, it's working!!
Go to the Mary Kay website or contact your local MK rep for ordering.
 My MK go to rep can be reached at marykay.com/klauze.

Great Products for Winter Skin

Scalisi Skincare has a great product, Cleanser and Exfoliator. Living in New England wreaks havoc on your skin..dry cold air outside, dry hot air inside. Dry, dry , dry! My skin is dry, tight, itchy...I cannot slather enough lotion on it. So, I love a cleanser that exfoliates, gets that dry skin off and allows my moisturizer to absorb as it should.
Smart, Savvy and Simple. Scalisi has done the homework so you don't have to. Advanced Technology that feels like silk; you will look forward to using it every day. This cleanser and exfoliator gently removes dull surface cells while hydrating the skin with time-released vitamin A, C, and E. Helps to revitalize, protect and maintain your skin.
I use this every morning in the shower, love applying moisturizer after. My skin looks polished and youthful. It is amazing how much dry skin ages you! Visit scalisiskincare.com and take a look at all their products.

Another great winter skin product comes from Miracle Skin Transformer, one of my favorite skincare companies. It is Miracle Balm and it is for anywhere on your body that you need help with dry skin. It has an endless number of uses such as conditioning lips, hydrating skin, and illuminating your complexion.It contains over 30 moisturizers and emollients like Manuka Honey, Licorice Root Extract, Tamanu Oil, Evening Primrose, and Blue Mountain Sage Oil and all enhance the skin's own natural repair process and soothe environmental issues.
I had some cracks on my finger tips and boy do those tiny things hurt! I gave this balm a tough test and it passed with straight A's..within a couple of days I had great improvement. I am also using it on a dry rough patch on my cheek..same thing after a couple of days, much better skin texture. Highly recommend.
Go to miracleskintransformer.com to check out all their great products.

Flings by Justin Taylor

Another great book of short stories from Harper Collins. This one is from Justin Taylor, author of The Gospel of Anarchy and Everything Here is the Best Thing Ever. As I have said before, I enjoy short stories. I have always thought that they are for thinkers..each story full of questions and clues and most leave you to your own conclusions....I like that. Taylor's stories are no exception and a very enjoyable read. When I first saw the title I thought maybe these would be tales about the romantic type of flings..but what I decided after reading them was that they are stories about what life flings at us..and how we deal.
I was pleasantly surprised that two of the stories were connected, gave another view of the same story. A circle of college friends, each in romantic relationships, try to stay close and it works for a time. Then Scott leaves Ellen, takes off for California. Danny the writer, involved with Rachel, gets pissed off at Scott. He ends up with Ellen, having a child and living in Tokyo. Rachel ends up divorced from a man named Rowan and goes to Japan to visit.. Scott? He ends up with his own short story:) All dealing wit what life flings at them.
Great book, recommend it!

This is the Story of a Happy Marriage by Ann Patchett

A fellow reader suggested I read Ann Patchett..and the next thing I know I have her newest book in my hand. It is a book of short stories and essays. As I started from the first chapter , I wondered about the title. I didn't see an immediate connection, but kept going. The beauty for me with a book of stories is that I can be reading a dense novel and then take small breaks with another story. It doesn't need my undivided attention, just short bursts when I need to get my mind on something else. It is always good to have a short story handy.
Patchett is a good writer, she draws you in with her expression of human emotion. She could be you or the woman next door. I particularly enjoyed the story of the Winnebago. Doing research for a magazine article on the RV lifestyle, she takes off for Yellowstone with the most unlikely passenger- her estranged husband, who she hadn't been speaking to-as they travel, you can see traces of the old marriage and some sparks of new interest. A new love of RV life and a re-newed love with a good man. Once you read all the stories, you see the thread that weaves all together.
Now I am passing on the fellow reader suggestion..read Ann Pachett. Harper Collins/publisher.

The Autobiography of Eleanor Roosevelt

Ken Burns' produced a great PBS documentary on the Roosevelt family. I watched the multi-part doc with great interest. I love strong women, there is so much to be learned from them. So when I saw that Harper Collins was re-releasing Eleanor's autobiography , I took the opportunity to read it.
What an inspiring story. As a young girl, Eleanor was quite shy and had huge problems with esteem and confidence. She lost both her parents while she was still so young, and being bounced from relative to relative...boarding school is where she finally met a teacher that took an interest and Eleanor starting coming out of her shell.
Very interesting that she was a niece to President Teddy Roosevelt, and ended up marrying Franklin Roosevelt a 5th cousin. She bore seven children, with one baby dying as an infant. She spent most of her adult life relying on her mother in law for help with the children ( it seemed as though Franklin's mother raised the children) and living life as her mother in law saw fit, really.  Only when Franklin became involved in politics did Eleanor seem to get interested in a life of her own.
Her achievements were many. She was involved in civil rights, women's rights, under privileged children's rights, the war efforts...she also became the legs of her husband when he contracted infantile paralysis.  A great woman, long after Franklin's death she became involved in so many global projects, including the United Nations, appointed by President Harry Truman and appointed  to the Commission on the Status of Women by President John Kennedy. Inspiring.
Written in her own words, her own slant on history ( of which she became a great part) was a real view into the world of women in that time.
After I read the book and reflected on it, I was very struck by the fact that her children seemed to take a back seat in her life. Her mother in law raised them , and they were sent off to boarding schools at young ages. Now, some of this was what was expected of the wealthy..somewhat similar to the aristocracy of England. There were nannies and nurses and sending them off to live at school..I guess I was just taken aback  by how little time she spent with her children. As I said, this is all in her own words, and she wrote quite honestly.
Well worth the read, grab yourself this compilation of her three volume autobiography, great winter read.

Le Mieux's Essence Toner

I am a big fan of toners. If you check out my posts, you will see that I have reviewed at least one or two others.  I am also a fan of Le Mieux products, and their new Essence Toner. I have used witch hazel for years. When I get out of the shower, I will always take a face pad of witch hazel over my face to get rid of any soap or shampoo/conditioner that has ended up on my skin. It tightens my pores and feels cooling. In summer, I leave it in the refrigerator..it's a great pick me up. Witch hazel is PH balanced and I always appreciated that it was not drying..but.. it really didn't offer my skin anything else in the way of nutrients or anti-aging benefits. Le Mieux 's Essence Toner offers so much more. Provides hydration, soothes irritation, minimizes fine lines and wrinkles, improves firmness and elasticity and brightens up the skin.  It is full of fruit and berry extracts and all important hyaluronic acid, tea extracts and more. Love it and it now sits on the shelf right outside my shower and in the summer will be in the fridge beside the lemonade:)
Available at estheticians and at www.myskincarebox.com