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.

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.

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.

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.

1. I loved the color – well, the green. The brown is a coppery brown and I wasn’t sure how to wear that color with the green considering it’s a limey light green shade. So, I used the brown as a liner.

2. The consistency is a creamy stick. Kind of like a lip balm.  The green, which I wore on my lid, creased.  I don’t even think it was noon – so about 3 hours into my day – and the product had slid up my eye lid and bunched up into the crease of my lid. This was a first for me.

3. The brown which I used as a liner thanks to it’s sharper shaped end, stayed in place pretty well.

4. Covergirl often has a smell to it that I don’t like. This doesn’t seem to have that smell. That’s good.

5. The packaging is pretty cool. One color stick on each end with a clear cap so you don’t have to guess at what you get.

6. Pricing is reasonable I suppose. I’m not familiar with this type of eyeshadow so I’m probably not a great judge of price.

Overall, it’s not bad, but there were two major drawbacks for me.

1. I wasn’t sure how to use the two colors together to get a smoky look. I’m not a newby to makeup either.

2. If the product won’t stay in place, it does me no good.

 I also got some nice couponsfrom Covergirl and I used one to purchase the new lashblast lengthfrom Covergirl.

There isn’t much to share here, but here are the points I found to be true.

1. It has that Covergirl smell that I dislike and that smell sometimes gives me a headache.

2. Brown (6m) is a good color for me. I have medium brown auburn hair.

3. It didn’t really appear to add any length, but I already have fairly long lashes.

4. It wasn’t clumpy and seemed to stay put for the day.

Spring has definitely sprung and that means time to SPRING into treating yourself to something new. Ready?

OK we know you’re busy, so here’s the deal! Our friends at Sears have a bunch of offers for some big savings that will reward you, the family and your home this Sunday 6-9pm in store and all day on Sears.com.

All you have to do is visit http://www.sears.com/familyandfriends to see the full details.

In the meantime here are just a FEW of the ways you can save this Sunday:

    •  Extra 20% off on Misses’, Women’s, Men’ and Kid’s Apparel. Did someone
       say new summery outfit for the workweek? Or jeans for the kids!
    •  Extra 15% off on Rewards for Shoes. Sometimes the shoes DO make the
       woman! Or the husband.
    •  Extra 10% off plus 6% back in Rewards for Appliance, Electronics,
       Housewares, and Outdoor Living to name a few. Maybe this Sunday you can
       get that patio set you’ve been dreaming about since last summer!
    •  Extra 5% off on Lawn & Garden. Best time to get everything you need to get
       the yard ready for Summer!

But these are just a few of the different ways you’ll save at Sears this Sunday. You’ll have to head to the store to see all the other savings. And before we let you go, don’t forget to tell your neighbors and friends by posting on your Facebook wall.

So the question is what will you get?

Charms n Thingsis having a sale on their Italian charms. I have a couple bracelets and bought one for my daughter’s birthday this last Feb.

My next purchase will be one of the watches at Charmsnthings.com because I find that after several years of not wearing one, I have a need to know what time it is again. Plus, I can add my existing charms to the band, and buy more charms to fill it in if I want to.

Complete customization, over time, or right now! Ask Deb for specialty charms too. She’s happy to support our troops and help you get a custom charm to fit your gift giving needs.

Today’s tip is sponsored by

Today’s tip comes from Tami at Essensu holistic skincare

I volunteered to pass the word around because Teri was a member of my inagural test group for coaching and helped me realize my dreams. So, I’m returning the favor.

20% off everything and free shipping, domestic and international, in The Beaded Branch on ArtFire.