Brilliant shine; easy to apply; great packaging

Meguiars G6207 Black Wax

Meguiar's is the only car wax we have ever used since the 1970's. Meguiar's has been around since 1901, and they not only know what they are doing when it comes to making the best wax for cars, but they make the longest lasting wax that will literally keep water beading up on your car for a full year. I know this for a fact, as we wax our cars at the end of every summer and the water is still beading up on the car a year later when we give it a new waxing.

We usually use Meguiar's Gold Class Carnauba Paste Wax which costs around $11.00, and if we have more money to spend, we on occasion buy Meguiar's Ultimate Paste Wax which costs around $21.00. They are both superb paste waxes, very easy to put on with the enclosed sponge pads on a cool day, out of direct sunlight and very easy to rub off when dry with a clean white terry cloth towel. Liquid waxes are not nearly as good as paste waxes, as we find the paste waxes last way longer, are shinier and are easier to apply.

Trying this new Meguiar's Black Wax on our two black cars, I was skeptical if it would be as good, as it is not a paste wax in a can. I found it is also not a liquid wax either, as it is in a tube with a consistency of a thick gray toothpaste- not as thick as wax, but definitely not liquid. It does not dry as quickly as a paste wax, so you have to wax the entire car before wiping the wax off. We did use the same type of sponge pad to put the wax on, also on a cool day, out of direct sunlight, and wiped it off with a clean white terry cloth towel- exactly the same way we use a paste wax.

When we were finished, we had the same great shine that Meguiar's Paste Wax gives our car, with one main difference- there is a definite super reflective mirror finish- exactly like you see in a Car Showroom- so super high gloss- you can see yourself in it! Since we tried it on black cars, my brother asked if he could try it on a navy and dark green car. He did and he got the same super high gloss Showroom Shine- so we know any dark color car will get the same gorgeous mirror shine that our black cars get from this Black Wax. We found out, there are no dyes or colorants in this wax, so it is safe for any dark colored cars. Just make certain your car is a glossy color and not a flat or matte color, as this wax only works on glossy cars. For dark colored cars, this wax simply makes your car look as good as the day it came off the Showroom Floor and it will stay this gorgeous for a full year, making it a GREAT 5 STAR WAX!

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A la recherche du temps perdu

Summer France prequel Bunny ebook

I am such a huge fan of this author having already read the sequel to this book the hilarious memoir Bunny on a Bike and her fabulous psychological thriller My Grandfather's Eyes.
In this prequel to Bunny on a Bike we read the memoir of Bev as she and her best friend Carol manage to wrangle a grant from their university to take an educational (errm!) trip to France one summer.
I simply galloped through this book it was so engaging, hilarious and nostalgic, all in perfect measure. Bev has such a skill for writing and recounting the many things that those of us of a certain age will certainly relate to. It harps back to the days when sun protection was a bottle of vegetable oil with patchouli oil in it and a balanced diet meant adding jam to your ambrosia rice pudding. It reminds me of my youth, although I'm not over the hill just yet! When naivety, charm and in Carol's case outright honesty were all forgiven when you flashed a goofy smile.
I can't recommend this book highly enough for a feel good, funny read written by a very talented writer.

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A Courageous Reporter Looks Back at the Early Days in Vietnam

Death Zones Darling Spies Reporting

After reading "News Zero" by Beverly Deepe Keever, I knew her second book would be just as good, if not better. I wasn't disappointed. As a former reporter, my mundane beat nowhere near Keever's in any respect, I was immediately enthralled by her courageous leap from Columbia Journalism School in NYC into a battleground that was oceans and continents away from her parents' small farm in rural Nebraska. Her depth of "Death Zones" descriptions placed me there by her side as she sat squeezed between Marines in a helicopter loaded with TNT or on a cyclo pedaler as she skirted through Saigon's "hurly-burly traffic." Her more than 300 published articles were read in the pages of Newsweek, Cosmopolitan, newspapers worldwide, and even in the Congressional Record when Senator Mike Mansfield introduced her series of articles to "Mr. President." From coups and murders and assassinations, this determined and brave young woman was armed with only her trusty "Olivetti" and relenting that "it was always more important to wear lipstick than a pistol." Expertly documented with 35 pages of endnotes, readers are afforded an accurate account of what actually happened in one of the most controversial wars ever fought. The "Darling Spies" surprise ending was shocking--to the author and this reader. I highly recommend this book--especially to any and all movie-makers!

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I love this little thing

Vera Bradley Zip Case Bloom

I did not buy this product off of Amazon, I bought it off of the VB website. I would suggest doing this because they have sale patterns and you can get these for much cheaper! Anyways, I have had a zip i.d. case for about 4 years now and I JUST replaced it. I didn't even have to really, I just wanted a new one that didn't look as worn as mine did. But I can attest to the durability of these handy things! It is so convienient to have on my keychain so I don't have to go through my wallet searching for my license or credit cards. One big reason I looked into buying an ID case was because when I was in high school, I had my wallet stolen. Not only was money taken, but my license was gone as well! Being in high school at the time, when you have to get your license renewed more often, I was not pleased about losing my license when I just got it done. I had to go through the entire process of going to the DPS, paying more money, etc. So, the point of my sob story was that if I had had one of these in the first place, I wouldn't of had to replace my license! Having my license in here is great as well if I just need to make a quick errand run and I don't want to lug around my purse. I haven't tried to fill this to full capacity but you could definitely get a good amount of cards in here, I'd probably say 15 or so. I usually have my license, student I.D., a few other random cards, and a Burt's Bee's chapstick in here; zips up perfectly. It is also made very well and I like the "industrial" type ring that goes onto your keychain.

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Great moisturizer for lips

Nivea Butter Carded Smooth Ounce

First, let me say that I am VERY picky about my lip balm. I thoroughly critique every kind I buy and over the years I've pretty much determined that Vaseline is the best for taste-free, long-lasting protection. My only complaint about Vaseline is that it is very oily and can look too lip-glossy after you first apply it.

So when I say that this product is "about as good as Vaseline" that actually a pretty significant compliment in my book. Here's a quick rundown of what to love about it.

PROS:
- Long-lasting protection
- No fragrances or tastes
- Flat, waxy coating that doesn't look embarrassingly glossy
- Good-sized tub that will last a long time

My only con is the tin it comes in. Although there's nothing actually wrong with it, the size is nice and compact, but I just prefer using a tube. Not a big complaint, but it is something to consider if you feel the same way I do.

OVERALL: Competitively-priced and one of the best products to put on your lips. I highly recommend it!

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A Must Have

Kiehls Scented Lip Balm Vanilla

I've been using this product for over 10 years and have only good things to say. It's one of the only lip balms I'm not allergic to and it actually works. It was originally referred to me by a tv makeup artist and I can't leave the house without it. I wear it everyday either by itself or under lipstick. Unfortunately I'm allergic to almost every lip product but wearing Keihls underneath helps a little.

I have a tube of the lip balm wherever I go, 3 in my pocketbook, 1 at my desk, 1 by my bedside...I think you get the idea. My friends and family use it as well.

The scented ones are great but my favorites have been discontinued. Boo! I have one coconut lip balm left and I use it sparingly.

For the review that states Vaseline is better I disagree, Vaseline alone does not work for me.

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Armpit Stain remover

Oxiclean Versatile Stain Remover Pounds

Deodorants containing aluminum (almost all of them) mixes with sweat and gives you that yellowish or darker stained pits on your shirts. A little googling and this is what I've come to realize. I have never used oxiclean but have always heard of it and have heard of people using it.

I decided to get the powder version because not only can I use it in the laundry but I thought it would be good for its other oxygenated properties (have yet to try)

I did not go through the hassle of presoaking in a 5 gallon bucket or anything, and simply added the oxiclean in the water with laundry detergent. Let the clothes sit for about 10 minutes and then started the machine. I didn't get my hopes up because I was trying this out on my work-out shirts, but to my surprise the stain was almost gone and more importantly the slight body odor that the washer just couldn't get out on its own was nearly gone as well. Really impressed. One thing I was worried about was the fabric where the stain was may appear to have "thinned" a little. I think this might just be an illusion and the area may be a slight discoloration instead.

I have since tried this on my darker shirts with much success as well. It did boost the cleaning power all the way around as mentioned the stain and smells were nearly gone, so for that it gets 5 stars. I will be trying this out on some soiled car rags, as well as rags used after waxing (The washer has never been able to really get the wax smell out of them) and will post an update with the results.

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