I've been taking anti-depressants since the early 90s, but more seriously since I was hospitalized for depression with suicidal ideation in 1997.  I've taken almost every anti-depressant on the market, and been through a vicious underworld of side effects. Cymbalta, for me, was like finally finding the light. I feel almost normal now.I started with the 30 mg dose (it comes in capsu...

     Let me preface this by saying that I don't usually shop for lingerie, especially bras, at Wal-Mart. OK, sometimes I get packages of Hanes panties there, but I prefer better stores for lingerie. I was quite surprised to see Playtex bras there, and still wonder if it was just a quirk. I bought this without trying it on, which I don't usually do either, but I could...

I don't usually go to the Dollar Tree for pens and pencils.  Staples is my venue of choice for those items. But I was shopping with a friend, and we stopped at the Dollar Tree because you just never know what you might find. To my delight, I found Cadoozles! It's a package of 9 mechanical pencils that look like real pencils, except they're in funky colors and have pictures that...

My now-ex-husband bought us matching Movado watches back in the 80s when they first came out (don't be thinking how lucky I am -- he used my paycheck to do it!). They were the men's and ladies' "Museum Watch," the first watch to be an exhibit in the Museum of Modern Art in New York.This is a really beautiful and stylish watch. It has a timeless appeal, and is stunning acce...

I live with three dogs, so sometimes my home has extra unpleasant odors.  Because of multiple chemical sensitivities, products like Oust and Neutra-Air tend to provoke allergic reactions in my head.  When I saw an ad on TV for Zero Odor, a product that promised to simply remove odors, and not cover them with another scent that lingers for hours, I decided to try it.  The cost, $3...

In my on-going search for cleansing and moisturizing products for my extremely sensitive skin, I found Estee Lauder's Verite Line, created specifically for sensitive skin.  Actually, my physician sister purchased three products from the line; they were a little out of my price range.  I got the light lotion cleanser, the calming fluid, and the moisture cream.Cleansing is the first...

One of my sisters gave me this TIPS nail set for my birthday last year. It includes a gentle nail and hand cleanser, skin conditioning milk, nail polish remover, nail/cuticle conditioner, and a small bottle of pale pink nail polish (I think you can choose it with different colors). All the products are intended to improve the health and strength of your nails.The hand and nail cleanser isn'...

A couple of years ago I found myself in debt, and paying too much for a mortgage and home equity loan. I looked around my town for a way to refinance, but couldn't find anyone who would either give me a loan, although my house had appreciated, or would give me a fair interest rate, because of my credit rating. Then Mortgage Lender's Network came to the rescue.I found them on-line, and w...

    I try not to be a QVC addict, but when I realized how awful all my old sheets were getting, I took my sister's advice and watched an hour of Northern Nights bed linens and comforters.  It is obvious that they are high quality products; the people calling in with testimonials all had multiple sets and were buying more.  I decided to get the "Hot Pick" w...

I have three dogs: two senior Bichon Frises, and a 3 year old Akita.  All of them dig. If I stop watching them for 30 seconds, a Bichon-deep hole appears.  Their yard, formerly known as my backyard, looks like it's been shelled, with craters everywhere.I've tried every method suggested by my dog trainer, and by Cesar the Dog Whisperer on TV.  I've buried tin foil; app...

Have you ever found yourself stuck in traffic, surrounded by howling children, or stuck at number 98 when number 31 is being served and 10 minutes are left in your lunch break, and just wanting to scream?  When life's frustrations and stresses grab me by the throat, I grab for Origins Sensory Therapy Peace of Mind On-the-Spot Relief.  This relief comes in the form of a light cream...

Frango chocolates are distributed only by Macy's, so you know from the get-go that they aren't going to be a bargain.  The regular chocolate mints are available all year long, but the Candy Cane mints are available only during the winter holiday season: they make their first appearance on Black Friday (the day after Thanksgiving) and disappear by shortly after New Year's Day.&n...

Smashbox is one of my favorite cosmetics companies.  It began by creating long-lasting products for models, then turned to similar products for the rest of us.  The three Artificial Light Luminizing Lotions are designed to give skin a luminous glow by affecting the way light reflects off of skin.  The three are Glow, which has a slight bronzing effect, Prism, which gives a "...

My father was a CPA, and was definitely a saver.  Thanks to his advice, I opened an IRA with my first full-time job, and put the maximum allowable into it each year.  Later I had a job with a 401(k) and I put the max into that as well.When I became disabled, I was of course not able to put anything into the 401(k) any longer. I was able to roll it over into the IRA that I still had.&n...

If you're old enough to remember penny candy, you probably remember Ice Cubes. If you can remember nickel candy, you may even remember them. They used to be right beside the check-out counter, little squares of chocolate in blue wrappers showing a polar bear, and called "Ice Cubes."I never have figured out why they got their name.  They don't taste like  most other c...

I often have trouble falling asleep, especially after a busy, stressful day.  The OTC products I've tried don't work, and I tend to have bad reactions to prescription sleep aids, so I looked around for a more natural approach to going to sleep.  I found it in Origins Sleep Time On-The-Spot Gel.  As anyone with experience in aroma therapy would guess, one of the main botan...

Now that nearly every cosmetic company makes a foundation primer, hardly anyone is asking if they really need one.  If you are asking, let me respond with a question: do you want your make-up to stay on all day?Smashbox cosmetics were originally designed for models, and designed to stay on during a full photo shoot under hot lights.  They developed PhotoFinish Primer because their fou...

I have sensitive skin, and while my complexion is good, it isn't flawless. I don't like the feel of most foundations, and many of them cause my skin to develop a rash or to break out.  Origins Reflection Perfection is a lightweight "mattifying make-up" that meets my needs.Reflection Perfection comes in six shades (Angel, Eggshell, Linen, Nude, Bare, and Honey), but none o...

I needed a humidifier to help keep my orchid healthy.  My home has a humidifying system, but it wasn't enough to please my Pansy Orchid.  I checked into a variety of different small humidifiers, and chose the Mist of Dreams Mini Mist Lamp for its compact size, ease of use, and esthetic appeal.I found the Mist of Dreams in an eBay store; I haven't found it in any stores near me...

Some of my favorite products from Philosophy are their 3-in-1 shower gel, bubble bath, and shampoo or shower gel, shampoo and conditioner products.  They keep adding new fragrances to the line, from baked goods to fresh fruit to cocktails, along with seasonal favorites like Cranberry Memory or Peppermint Twist for Christmas.  But two of my very favorites are Red Velvet Cake and Sweet ...