I am in love with summer. Here are my top reasons why.

1.  Vacations by the water.
I go a bit crazy when I haven't seen the ocean in more than a few months. Summer is of course the best time to go to the shore.  The water is a bit cold around here, but I'm fine just to hole up in the sand with a sun umbrella, read a good book, take a nap, and wait for the sunset.



2.  Garden Bounty.

I love nothing more than a fresh salad made of lettuce from my garden, tomatoes from my garden, vinaigrette with herbs from my garden, cucumber from my garden, carrots from my garden... you get the idea.

3.  Open windows.

I hate all winter when the house is stuffy but too cold to open the windows. Summertime means open windows at night, when the air is cool and wet and smells like wonderful.

4.  Faster rush hour.    Do you also notice your commute gets shorter in summer when all those crazy kids aren't riding or driving to school each day?

5.  Finally: spiked lemonade.  Need I explain?

Here is a recipe.  

Check out my new Ebay Guides!

I wrote a couple of ebay guides! You should check them out!

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Thanks for reading!

Winter Broccoli

So it's COLD outside, and although I would love to just snuggle under a blanket, watch Netflix and eat melted cheese all day, I still need to get some veggies somehow.  I remembered that I hadn't made my favorite broccoli recipe in a while, so I got some broccoli from the store, but when I got home I couldn't find the recipe.  I made up something based on what I do remember, and it was AMAZING.

I had someone ask about it, so here it is (in very, very rough and inexact language)

Broccoli, washed and cut into similarly-sized pieces
(I used about a pound, but you can make whatever you need)

I spun the broccoli in a salad spinner for a second to get rid of any excess water.

Put the broccoli in a large roasting pan.  Add some olive oil and salt, and toss it around so the broccoli is mostly coated with the oil.

Put it all in the oven at 450 degrees or so.

Here's where you will need to keep an eye on the broccoli--I don't have exact times, but it took mine probably 20 minutes or so to get good and roasted.  I like it to be a little brown and caramelized, so I err on the side of longer.
If you want this all to go faster, you can steam the broccoli so it is partly cooked before you put it in the oven.

When it's tender enough to eat and not quite as done as you would like it to be, take it out of the oven.  This is the good part: in a small bowl, mix some minced garlic (I used a lot--like 3 heads), some softened butter (I used about 3 tablespoons), and few tablespoons of grated parmesan cheese.  If you have a food processor, blend it up good with that first, but I didn't have the energy for all that so I just mushed it up real good with a fork.

Top the broccoli with the cheesy buttery goodness.  Put it back in the oven. 

Wait maybe 10 minutes or so.  The cheesy buttery goodness should start to melt a bit and get browned. It gets a little toasted and some will melt into the broccoli. 

When it looks ready, pull it out and eat it up!

You should try it out.  Broccoli is cheap, and yummy, and when you top it with butter and cheese and roast it, it's freakin amazing.

Two months in: Fysiko Eyelash Growth Serum Report

As you know, I started using the Fysiko Eyelash Growth Serum back in early-to-mid May. It's now nearly mid July and I thought I'd post some pics to see if there has been any changes in the look of my eyelashes.

I have been using the serum twice daily, once in the morning after I get out of the shower and once at night after I wash my face and before I get in bed.  It's easy enough to use-- it's a small brush on the end of a wand, sort of like mascara but without all the brushes at the one end.  It's a clear serum and I can't feel it when it's on, but I do see it as it's wet when it comes out.  It only takes a minute to dry.

So what do you think? Let's take a look:

Can you tell a difference?
The entire trial is for 16 weeks so I still have another 2 months.  I think it might be working. Do you?

Follow me and I'll report back! I'm on Twitter as @creep4ward and you can follow Influenster and Fysiko as @InfluensterVox and @FysikoLashes on Twitter too.

checking in: Fysiko Lash Growth Serum test

Hi, checking in on the halfway point for my trial of the Fysiko Lash Growth Serum.  I took a few pics this morning to see how it looks. They came out sort of blurry but this one is OK:

What do you think? To be honest I am not sure if it has been working or not.  It is only halfway through the trial time so I think I will wait to judge until a few more weeks.  Wish me luck!

New product test begins: Fysiko Eyelash Growth Serum

I'm excited to post the "before" shots of my own eyelashes as part of a new campaign I'm part of with Influenster.com and Fysiko Eyelash Growth Serum.

(If you're not an Influenster.com member, you should become one! They connect online influensers with brands and sometimes you'll get free stuff! Send me a message if you want an invite.)

After signing up to become part of this testing campaign I almost forgot about it until the package arrived today.  The serum comes in a tiny long white box and the bottle just looks like a normal mascara bottle.

All I have to do is use the serum on the edge of my eyelid where my lashes grow once or twice a day. I'll be doing this for 16 weeks to see if the serum works.  In order to test it, I'm taking before and after pictures of my own eyelashes and you and I can be the judge.

I've always been pretty OK with the length of my lashes. I have dark brown hair so the ones I do have seem to show up pretty well.  I wear contact lenses so I'm not a big fan of mascara because it always seems to end up flaking into my eyes at some point in the day.  I'll still wear it, though, since I like the way it makes me look a little more *awake* and a little more feminine and pretty.  If I didn't have the contact lens problem, I'd probably wear mascara more often.  But if I can get my lashes to look longer without using mascara, this would be a perfect solution for me.  Especially because as I've gotten older, I feel like they have thinned out a little (and I seem to look more tired than I used to LOL)! So I do hope this Fysiko Eyelash Growth Serum works!

According to the instructions, a single bottle of the serum will last six to eight months.  That's good, since the retail price looks to be over a hundred bucks.  Hey, if it works, it's worth it, right?

Anyway, here we go.  These are my "before" eyelash pictures.

I'll be posting updates when I can and will do a whole post after the 16 week trial is up.  Follow me and see how it works! I'm on Twitter as @creep4ward and you can follow Influenster and Fysiko as @InfluensterVox and @FysikoLashes on Twitter too.

Cancel your internet! It's a GIVEAWAY!

I'm ecstatic to have been contacted by Mom It Forward for NetZero 4G Mobile Broadband service.  You might remember NetZero (depending on your age) as the company that offered free dial-up internet back in the day-- my mom used them for quite a while! Well, they are back and better than ever!

Now you can get a year of FREE 4G mobile broadband internet service with the purchase of a NetZero 4G Hotspot device or 4G stick!  This is a mobile hotspot service that lets you connect to super-fast 4G internet on the go.  It's secure internet that can be shared with multiple devices within range.  So you can use one 4G Hotspot to provide internet to your whole family's tablets and laptops as long as they are close enough to share the broadband signal!

The free service does have a monthly data limit of 200MB, but NetZero offers a number of upgrade levels for a super reasonable monthly fee ranging from $9.95 all the way up to $49.95 a month for "platinum" service.  The best thing about this is that there's NO CONTRACT.  Can you believe it? Let me say it again.  NO CONTRACT! I can hear the angels singing...  You can read all about the different levels of service offered at NetZero's website.  They are all amazingly cheap, especially for 4G service!  You should also visit their Facebook page for updates and news about this cool new service.

I am lucky to be part of NetZero's promotional campaign with bloggers to help spread the word about this new service.  NetZero sent me my own 4G Hotspot to try here at home. It arrived in a small box and was so easy to set up, it took probably 3 minutes tops and I was connected. After I unwrapped the little hotspot device, I just pushed a button to power it up. A small screen lit up and let me know it was connecting.  Within a minute the broadband connection's name and password showed up on the screen.  I was able to connect my laptop, tablet, and netbook to the same fast 4G connection within minutes.  So exciting! I can't wait to use this on the go-- when I'm riding the bus, visiting family, on vacation, at the beach, camping... I can update Facebook or work remotely from anywhere there's NetZero 4G network access!

Disclaimer: I am part of the Mom It Forward blogger network. Mom It Forward and NetZero partnered in support of this campaign. NetZero compensated me for participation in this campaign.  However, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

NetZero is so proud of their new service that they are hosting a GIVEAWAY for readers of HJ's Time, right here! Now one of you will will your very own NetZero 4G Hotspot device and 3 months of their best "platinum" 4G mobile internet service for FREE! That's a $300 value! 

To enter, you must be a U.S. resident.  This contest will close at 11:59 pm Tuesday, December 18th.  Leave ONE post below (including your email address) after you have done these three things:

• Visit http://bit.ly/SOB8c8 and leave a comment on THIS post with one fact you learned by visiting the NetZero website.
• Follow NetZero on Twitter @NetZero_4G (http://bit.ly/VuY1mW).
•  Tweet the following message:   "I entered to win FREE 4G broadband from @NetZero_4G and @creep4ward at HJ's Time Blog http://bit.ly/W9cpyu #NetZero4G".  Make sure you leave your twitter handle in your post below.

What I am thankful for

• that the presidential election is over so I can go back to reading Facebook and watching TV again
• for my health
• for my family 
• for my family's health
• for my beautiful cats
• for our warm, safe home
• for a job that I only sort of hate
• for free time
• for looking at the moon at night
• for sunsets
• for rainbows and beautiful clouds
• for the ocean
• for afternoon naps
• for chocolate and coffee and wine and other food that makes life worth living
• for my partner, my love
• for my own experience, bravery, and self-forgiveness
• for freedom--of speech, religion, to disagree, to love, to move, to pursue my own goalds
• for books, magazines, and literature
• for pillow-top mattresses
• for warm socks and gloves
• for a working automobile
• for a public transit system for when my automobile is not working
• for old friends who know me too well
• for new friends who are still getting to know me
• for all the mistakes I have made that taught me all I now know
• for the smell of summer rain
• for the first snow of winter
• for the first sunburn of summer
• for getting a really good fortune in your fortune cookie
• for when strangers smile at you for no reason
• for safe and courteous drivers
• for waiters and waitresses who make dining out a indulgent experience
• for the people who pick up my garbage, keep my electricity on, pave my roads and fix my bridges, keep the water and air clean, for the people who keep streets safe and put out fires, who do all of the things I am privileged enough to take for granted, so much that I probably don't even know to include them in this list right now
• for the sense enough to know that I should be grateful for what I have.

Oooh! Contest Coming!

I can't give too much away, but I can say this....

A contest is coming! on my blog!

It's going to be big!

Details to come soon....

Will it be YOU????

Speaking of Boots...

Speaking of Boots:

Let me highlight a few of the picks from my "boots I want" Pinterest board.

First, let's take these blood red babies up here.  These are gorgeous. Not only is it great that the color is something other than the basic black or brown, but it's also a color that still goes with most anything, so you're not limiting yourself by choosing it.  More, you can take a look at the shoe close up and see the detail.  The sole and heel have this cool cobblestone-looking pattern which adds a little rustic flair. Also I love the curved backwards "S" shape going up the side of the boot. For someone who is "S" shaped herself, this seems like a good match. 

Another unusual boot: check out this pair made of wool with leather straps:

First of all I don't know what the big white bowl in the background is supposed to be, so let's just ignore that.  These are the coolest-- the look hand-made (they might actually be) and totally rustic.  These are unique and unusual. They have the high-top warmth -- and in wool!--as well as the durability of leather. Plus, they have a bit of the gladiator fashion going for them, too.  I was never big on the gladiator sandal thing in part because it looked like the straps dug into my leg skin-- yuk. Here the wool is in the way, so I don't have that problem.
No, you probably couldn't take these out in rain or snow without them getting wet.  But aren't they cool?

OK, those are my top two.  Do you have a boot that you are drooling over, too?

I know I'm late on the Pinterest wagon, but I was just getting used to Twitter. Then the other day I decided to go ahead and actually spend some time on Pinterest. I had made a profile a while ago and added some friends/following others but didn't realize what it was all about. It's totally addictive!


You should visit my page:

Creep4ward on Pinterest

I have been going overboard, for sure.

First I made a page full of pics of boots I like. I have been browsing boots for the longest time, but still haven't had the courage to shell over hundreds of dollars for a good pair. I'm just too scared that I won't like them or won't really wear them. Check out my Boots I Want board:

Boots I Want!

Then I started looking at the "pin to win" or "pin it to win it" contests. OMG! There are so many. I think I spent most of Saturday entering those things. It was fun, too-- I got to pretend what I would buy if I won a gift card or a wish list of my own. Who doesn't like fantasy shopping?

What probably helped was the fact that I won something right away! The website Beauty.com-- you know, the one affiliated with Drugstore.com-- had a "pin to win" contest that I entered, and they picked my board as a winner! I won a $50 gift card to anything at Beauty.com! I still don't know what to get. Maybe try out one of those new BB creams? Or splurge on a fancy hair styling product? What do you think?

I'm hoping that Black Friday means they have a sale, so I can get the most for my (free) money! Check out the winning board:

Beauty Likes

Jealous yet? You should follow me and I'll try to keep posting new contests. Let me know if you are doing the same and I'll follow you too. We're in this winning thing together!

New Year, New Me

It's the last morning of the last day of 2011, and I am going over my list of resolutions as I drink a cup of warm coffee. I'm sure there are too many of them--I have heard that making too many or too ambitious resolutions sets you up to fail--but in a way I think it's good to want things, especially good things for myself. So, here are a list of some of the things I want to be new in the new year.

1. Stop smoking, for good
I know, I know. I had quit for many years but this year was stressful, and in a moment of weakness I picked up a cigarette. Then another one. And another. I was ashamed of myself, but it was an old, old, old habit that was SO familiar. I have cut back to 1 every other day. It's time. I love myself and my body, and cigarettes don't make me feel GOOD in the way that I want to.

2. Lose 10 pounds
Typical resolution, and probably not the best one since they say you gain weight when you quit smoking. But I have a whole year to do it. I should probably focus more on being healthy than achieving a certain number on the scale, though. Which leads me to resolution #3.

3. Be more active
This is as much for my mood as my health. I know that I love walking outside, playing with my family, having Wii competitions on Friday nights at home, going camping and hiking and biking. I am not and probably never will be a competitive sports person. I am not planning to run a marathon or become an extreme skier. But just moving around--especially outside--makes me feel alive. No more excuses this year.

4. Be more grateful
I have had this resolution before, and I think it's still a work in progress. I get so caught up in the little annoyances of daily life and all the things I wish had happened, that I forget about how wonderful my life already is. Even this list of resolutions is sort of like that--focusing on what I lack rather than what I have. I have to be careful not to let my desire to be better become a way of feeling sorry for myself. It's such a fine line. But at the end of the day, I have so much to be thankful for. My health, my friends, my family, my cats, a lovely home, a safe neighborhood, yummy food and drink, fresh air, sunrises and sunsets, intelligence, empathy, experiences, enough money to be OK... these are the things I should focus on. I will try to do that more this year.

5. Be more giving
As our finances took a dive in the past few years, I found myself no longer giving to the non-profits and organizations that I usually gave to. Even though it was rarely very much-- $20 here and there-- it was important to me, and I'm sure it added up for the cause I cared about. Not only did my financial giving stop, but I also haven't been volunteering as much as I used to. This must change. Even if I can't spare a lot of cash, I can spare an hour or two at least once a week to help someone. I know from experience that I get more out of these "volunteer" acts than I ever could give. It brings me into touch with people I would have never met otherwise, and teaches me about different people's experiences and lives.

Those are my top 5. A lot, I know. I'm starting with #1. Hopefully #3 and #4 will help with #1. And #5 I can start today. #2? Well, maybe #2 will happen on its own if I focus on the rest. Maybe...

Contest: $10 Macys Gift Card!

Just because I'm in a good mood, I'm giving away a $10 Macy's gift card, good for purchases in store or online. To enter, follow me on google friend connect, post a note below that says something you might buy with the card (gloves, socks, a new lipstick), and/or tweet this message:
"I want to win a Macy's gift card from @creep4ward and HJ's Time blog! #HJsTime"
You can leave a separate comment for each thing you do. Be sure to leave an email or be visible as a gfc follower so I can contact you if you win!
This giveaway will end on Friday, September 16th at 5pm Eastern.
Open to everyone!!! Good luck!!!!

review to come: Hairmax products!

Won these cool Hairmax products and can't wait to fill you in on how they work! It's a 4-part system and I want to give it some time to work, but check back later and I'll post a full review for you.

Hairmax products are made to help you grow hair. They are probably best known for their laser device that helps people who are losing hair or have thinning hair. I don't have the laser (sorry) but I do have the products, so I'll let you know how it goes!

I the meantime you can follow Hairmax on twitter @hairmax or visit them at Hairmax.com .

Review: Secret Clinical Deodorant

I'm smelly. And greasy. I admit it. And I often find my deodorant to be, well, lacking. I got this great trial pack from klout.com to see if Secret's Clinical deodorant worked any better than the other brands.

Let me tell you: it did. And now I know why. They added more of the main ingredient that most deodorants have, so it works better. They call it "clinical" because you used to not be able to get this strong of deodorant without seeing a doctor. But they changed that, and now you can buy it over the counter.

Secret clinical costs more but it is SO worth the expense. I can even feel the deodorant still working when I'm in the shower, 1 or 2 days after I put it on. It's really incredible.

If you are super sweaty like I am, you should give it a try.

Review: Riega Gluten Free Cheese Sauce Mix

Thanks to another fabulous twitter party win, I got to try a sample collection of Riega's Gluten Free Cheese Sauce mixes. They come in a bunch of flavors like PepperJack, Alfredo, White or Yellow Cheddar. Now I am not the biggest mac and cheese fan, but someone (who will remain nameless ;) ) LOVES the stuff. And he has been buying the boxes for at least 1 dollar a piece for a while. But this stuff is more economical and better for you!

The first thing I liked is that the packets let you make your own pasta. Making your own pasta from dried, boxed noodles is so easy and cheap, and we always have some on hand. Plus we mixed in some whole wheat pasta, so the mac and cheese was already healthier than the traditional boxed versions.

All you do is boil the water, cook and drain the pasta, mix the packet of powdered cheese sauce with a little milk (optional butter) and dump the pasta on top. Voila! Mac and Cheese! The sauce is a little bit runnier than your usual boxed mac and cheese, but you can add more or less milk as you see fit and that will change.

Now we are not gluten intolerant in our house but I realize this is an issue for a lot of people, including some of our friends, so I would be comfortable feeding them a recipe using this cheese sauce. Plus you can use it for more than just mac and cheese-- popcorn toppings, for example.

I can't wait to try all the varieties (I tried the cheddars first) but I expect they will all be as yummy as the first!

You should check out all the options at Riegafoods.com and see what else looks good to you!

Review: Supercharge Your Life NOW! XS Energy Drink

The folks over at Supercharge Your Life Now held a cool contest on Facebook and I won! They sent me a whole case of the XS Energy Drink to try, and I wanted to take a minute to tell you about my experience with it. All good things!

So they offer this energy drink in a bunch of flavors, like Citrus Blast, Tropical Blast, and Rootbeer Blast. I chose the Cranberry Grape blast flavor because we drink a lot of cranberry juice at our house. As you can see, they sent a whole box full of them, so I sure hoped I liked the flavor! When they arrived, I put a couple in the fridge and then waited for the to chill. I forgot about them until the next day when I realized I had a mid-morning meeting and was running late. I usually start off my day with 2 or 3 cups of coffee, but I had barely drank 2 cups and had to run. I grabbed one of these XS Energy Drinks and brought it with me. I drank it in the car on the way to my meeting and was pleasantly surprised by the flavor. A more grape flavor than cranberry, but still good.

I made it through the meeting and felt great! While I wasn't doing aerobics or anything, I did feel more alert and happy. Plus what I loved is I didn't feel at all jittery like when you drink too much coffee.

I probably felt so good because of XS Energy Drink's B vitamins. Once I looked at the ingredients I realized-- this was a powerful punch of vitamins! Just what I need!

Now XS Energy Drink is one of my top choices for energy and concentration boosts on the go. The little cans are just the right size. Oh, and I forgot the best part--- they aren't filled with sugary calories like other energy drinks! Actually XS Energy Drink has only a couple measley calories to worry about. Now that is something to write home about!

I would recommend XS Energy Drink from SuperCharge Your life for anyone who is athletic or students who need some help studying. I think it would even be good for your average person who just needs a mid-day pick me up without a crash at the end. You should check them out at www.superchargeyourlifenow.com and see all the other stuff they offer. I would love to try out some of their other products, like the Glister toothpaste or oral rinse. If this drink is this good, I bet other stuff is good too!

Thanks for the sample case of energy drinks, Supercharge Your Life Now! It works!

It's Hot out there!

Who else is burning up?
Any tips for ways to beat the heat (for cheap)?

Review: Costume SuperCenter!

I love playing dress-up, even though I'm a far cry from a kid these days! I think Halloween is one of the most fun holidays ever. Not only do you get to pretend to be someone else for a night, but you get to gorge on candy while you do it! I can't think of much better.

I was lucky to be contacted by a representative from a company called Costume Super Center and they offered to send me a costume to review for this blog! I'm very excited to be able to offer my opinion.

I checked out their website Costume Discounters and took a look at all the variety. I was totally blown away by how many kinds of costumes they had! I was somehow expecting more for kids, but I was happy to see so many for adults. They had pets and kids and mens and womans Halloween costumes to choose from. What I loved best was the costumes they had by decade era-- 50s, 60s, 70s, etc. I was laughing out loud as I scrolled through the 60s costumes on their website. As soon as I saw it, I knew it was the one for me: The First Lady costume. You must check it out.

Thrilled, I told the rep that I wanted the First Lady. I mean, who doesn't want to be Jackie O for Halloween? So I was so excited when the UPS man came by today with a package for me. It came in a large plastic bag. This is what it looked like once I opened it:

So according to the insert, it seems that they offer free exchanges for products and sizes! I have to say I was impressed by that, as it seems most companies these days make you pay for returns or don't take them at all. Anyway, the actual costume was packaged in plastic too and looked like this:

You can see how cute it is, and why I picked this one! Bright pink, with a hat, jacket, and skirt. The optional accessories-wig, pearls, gloves-seem like they would be easy enough to find. I probably have some old fake pearls around here somewhere, and white gloves too.

The costume was nicely folded inside the plastic sleeve and was easy to take out. It was made of 100% polyester, which smelled a little bit too polyester-y for me. I checked and it said it could be hand washed, though, which I would probably do before I wore it out of the house. Just to get rid of the fresh-clothes smell.

I went ahead and tried it on. Here I am, dressed as the first lady:

As you can see, the jacket fit perfectly, though the skirt was pretty snug. I think I would try to let out the skirt a little bit at home before I wore it out. Otherwise I thought it was adorable. I can totally picture myself faux-waving with that cupped-hand beauty queen wave as I walked into a Halloween party dressed like this. How fun!

Overall I would say that the costume was as expected and in spite of the tight fit of the skirt, it was a success. (Anyway, the skirt's tightness has more to do with the size of my butt than the size of the skirt!) According to the invoice, the costume is priced at 13.65, which I'd say is a great deal for a full-on, ready-to go real costume. And there's no reason you couldn't keep it and wear it for more than one year.

Final word: pros were it's cheap, cute, and pretty convincing for a Halloween costume. cons were it sort of smelled like polyester, and the size was a bit small. But since the company offers free exchanges, I have the option to send it back and get another size anyway! This would only be a con, then, if I had ordered last-minute and didn't have time to wait for a replacement to arrive. So the moral is-- go buy your costumes from the Costume Super Center early!

I'd love to hear your comments about the outfit. What is your favorite Halloween costume? Do you like the sexy costumes or traditional witchy costumes? Do you make your own or buy them online?

Survivor by Chuck Palahniuk

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I liked this book. I read it in about 3 days, and there were time it was hard to put down. I felt so-so at times, like I wasn't sure if he was trying to be shocking and cool or if he was being earnest at times. Hard to say. But it was a compelling story, and not just because of the fact that it was written in 1999 pre- nine- eleven stuff. So back when apocalypse and terror were still sort of abstract and pseudo-punk. It was a good read though. I feel silly because I had seen Fight Club like a zillion times but never read the book or anything else he ever wrote. I have friends who have read all his books and I was always that person in the back just nodding as if I knew what I was talking about. So this was my 1st Chuck P book and I thought yet, it was a good book. I am curious enough to read another, which I just checked out from the library. I guess knowing me, a serial non-finisher of books, it says something that I even finished this book. And I have not read fiction in a long time, either. So we will see. I will report back if I like the other book by him too.



View all my reviews