Belly rings are so last decade, or are they?
Back before having babies, in my youth I was a little on the rebelious side. Not much mind you, but enough to have gotten a tattoo and my belly button pierced.
I never did much with the belly rings because I am not a flamboyant person. Okay, maybe a little. I was also a belly dancer until a car wreck back 03, but even with that, I never used the bejeweled and flashy belly rings. At some point, I let the piercing heal up and now have a hole just above my belly button that goes nowhere.
If I can get back in shape (which I’m publicly declaring here, I guess) then maybe, just maybe, I’ll get it re-done and wear something flashy like this. 
Yep, this is is also a sponsored post, but my story is true and so is my goal to get back in shape.
Bug screen to keep the outside out
Like to do stuff outdoors in the summer, but you are sick of the flys? Me too! So, I was asked to share this product door bug screen with you and thought it might help someone.
No hardware or tools needed to install, because it fastens to the frame with Velcro. You can slip in and out quickly, no matter what you’re carrying, simply by stepping between the overlapping panels that are held together by a magnet. 36 inches wide. Fits a 72 inch sliding glass door or regular entry door. 80 inches tall.
I’m supposed to mention that theseare easy to install. Fits all standard garages. 5% discount if “summersavings” discount is applied. Orders over $99 get free shipping.
This is a sponsored post, but I honestly thought you might find this product useful.
Questions and answers by real people
Do you have a question? I have lots of them. All day long but often there is no one who knows the answer. So, finding Questions and Answers at Question Bin was kinda cool for me.
Yeah ther is some crap to wade through, but how about this question for starters?
Is the olecranon process of the humerus on the distal or proximal end of the humerus? Is the olecranon process of the humerus on the distal or proximal end of the humerus?
I had to laugh!
Of course, having just seen the vampire movie Eclipse, this one was funny for me too. What is the difference between full-moon day, new-moon day,solar eclipse and lunar eclipse? What is the difference between full-moon day, new-moon day,solar eclipse and lunar eclipse?
Okay, okay. Just go take a look around and see if there is anything of value for you. Maybe share your own know it all answers.
This is a sponsored post but those things did cause me to chuckle for real.
Sunrise bed is mine when I win the lottery
Someday I’ll win the lottery or marry that very rich old man with one foot on a banana peel and when I do, I’m buying this rustic decor bed for my cabin in Colorado.
When I first started looking at their website, all I saw was log cabin style furniture which isn’t my style at all. Then, I found this. Isn’t she gorgeous? That is what natural beauty is all about ladies and gentlemen.
“This beautiful walnut mainframe is fused together with burl maple accents creating a vivid and lush look that will make your room become one with nature. ”
Why do I have to wait til I get rich? Because it costs $4,299.99 ! That, my friend, is more than I paid for my car.
This is a sponsored post, but the opinions about the bed and website are actually my own and I even admit it.
WEN hair care, does it work?
I was offered the opportunity to write about WEN from Chaz Dean and I’m taking it just because I’m curious and I thought I’d use the opportunity to share my future sister in law’s experience with the nock off brand.
I’ve seen the presentations on the shopping channel and I’ve seen the infomercial. It makes me curious. Did they do some editing to make the models hair look great, or does the product really work that well? I used tobe in the hair industry and I wish it would have hit the market before I left so I’d have insider information about how well it works.
The products are some kind of hair care system – an alternative type of cleanser and conditioner along with a comb and styling type product.
My future sister in law, Angela, tried the products from a local beauty supply store that are a knock off of the WEN brand. She wasn’t impressed and said it left her hair looking like it does when you haven’t washed it for a few days. Greasy and heavy and somewhat limp. I don’t know how long she gave it or if she used it right. It could be that the nock off just doesn’t work as well either.
I’d love to hear if anyone has any experience with the real products though.
This is a sponsored post, but the story is true and my curiosity is authentic.
Leather furniture brings back memories
Growing up, my grandparents had this ultra modern furniture set that I thought was too cool for someone like them to have. It looked too much like something I’d see on MTV in a New York studio or something.
It was black leather – like material. Low to the ground and quilted. I guess that’s the right term. It was certainly way more hip than the plaid green and brown truly 70’s style furniture set we had at home. You know, the kind with the wooden arms and feet, maybe even the wooden shoulder wings? Ick.
I wish I had a photo of the furniture set I’m talking about but it’s not in our photos here and all the photos at my grandparents house were blown away by a tornado a few years ago. So, I guess for now, I’ll just look at these photos of this cool leather sofa and remember a time from my childhood.
This is a sponsored post and this leather sofa is cool too , but the story is true and I did really love that furniture set of my grandparent’s.
Toning flip flops?
So, I gave into the temptation that something would help me get back my 20 something legs and butt. I’ll also confess that I’ve just plain made a commitment to walk fast daily.
But, my potential weakness comes in the form of a shoe that says it can help work the legs and but even harder than the same excersize performed using typical shoes. Is it true? Well, I’m testing it out and I’ll let you know when I’ve tried them over a period of time.
Before that happens though, I thought I’d share how hard it is for someone with short toes to get a good fit out of this shoe!
I started by trying on the Payless brand version which was much too long in the toe area. In order to get my arch and heel in the right place of the foot bed, the toe post was about half way up my toe, instead of being in the pit of my toes. Uncomfortable!
I then went to try on Sketchers brand at a department store to see how they felt. The size 6 felt better on my toes, but still worried me. These cost nearly $50 and that is simply out of the question right now for something that may not fit well. So, I looked on ebay and amazon. While they both had sketchers brand, what I found in my size and the particular color I want, was nearly retail price. I only shop ebay to find rare items or true bargain prices. But, I found a knock off and decided to try it.
Here’s what I got. LA Gear Trim Step The seller was awesome. I had them in 2 days. However, when I wore them last night for a short walk and at a slower pace than normal thanks to my ancient basset hound, they left me with blisters on the insides of my toes! The part of the shoe that goes over the top of my foot (the top of where my arch is) was very tight and rubbed almost to the point of blistering also.
Today I went to Target to get something completely unrelated. Guess what? They have a version called TrimStep. It looks exactly like the LA Gear version. Here’s the difference. They had a size 5 and it is the right fit.
So, four pair of shoes later and about $30 used, I have a size that is 1.5 – 2 sizes smaller than I ever wear!
Tonight I took the new pair for a walk. I walked fast on gravel and pavement and they felt good. In fact, I felt propelled forward and while these are not a soft cushy type of rubber, they felt bouncy while I walked. I felt something in my calves. Something like being worked out! My left calf was kind of yelling at me at one point so maybe they really do work?
I plan on wearing them to work at a 9 hour a day job tomorrow to see if they also help my back which is another proposed benefit of this style of shoe.
We’ll see, and I’ll let you know.
I’d love to have a new rug for my house
I wish we could have rugs in our house. We did for a while but between an incontinent old dog and children, they didn’t last long. I’ve been looking around again today at some very classy hand loomed persian rugs. Maybe someday I’ll potty train the kids and the dog?
“Meshkinshahr usually makes very long runners, with patterns that are strictly simple and geometric, often with diamond-shaped central medallions”
I love this one and it has the colors to match my living room! It’s probably longer than I could fit, but it’s lovely, don’t you think?
This site has a crazy number of rugs! 600 plus pages of them in all shapes, sizes and patterns.
We had a square one that sat under our furniture, but the darn dog kept peeing on the corner of it. Dang dog anyway!
Take this one for instance. Can you even look at it? It hurts my eyes to look for long, but it’s a cool pattern! 
So, maybe you wonder why anyone would want a rug? Let me tell you, wood and laminate flooring in the middle of a Kansas winter is COLD! Even with slippers on, the cold radiates up through your feet.
So, a rug under your feet anywhere you sit or stand is very nice to have.
Cool UK website offers some unique shopping
I found this cool website based in the UK. While I don’t live there, I still think it’s a cool site.
The thing that cracks me up about this site is that they list gambling links ring on the side! You won’t see that in America on a large shopping site. They also offer shoes and computers. Kids and housewares and gifts are also apparently big sellers.
It kind of makes me think of Amazon, but it’s set up a little differently.
This page has Argos Vouchers that are good for things like free delivery of all TVs for a limited time or %50 off bedroom sets. I wonder if that’s free shipping to the US?
That page also has Argos discount codes for money off furniture and appliances like washing machines.
While we are on the subject of furniture and household appliances, I found this interior decorating how-to page which offers DIY and other tricks to help spruce up your joint. I love the post about the DIY upholstered headboard and the videos for decorating and storing stuff in a kids room.
New Contest and Give a Way page
I’ve changed the way I host your contests and give a ways here at Alex Shares in order to make it easier on me and you.
With the help of Linky Tools, you can now update anything you are giving away without my getting in the way. It’s still free to list and now, it’s easier than ever.
Just visit our contests-and-give-a-ways page and enter the name of your give a way, then your link. It will show up list style on our page and I’ll update with a blog post weekly.
Help me promote this, and your own contests and give a ways by sending people to the page.
Thanks,
Alex
