The Chronic Consumer

I’ve wanted to get a formal family portrait done for quite a while now, so I’m currently comparing the different packages offered at nearby photography studios. There’s one studio at the mall, and a couple of independent ones in town that I’m going to check out.

From the preliminary research I’ve done, the important things to consider when shopping around for a portrait studio include:

• What kind of props are available for the photo shoot
• How well the photographer works with kids
• Examples of past portraits
• How long the photo shoot will last
• Whether or not the photographer is willing to go “on location”
• The ability to purchase negatives and/or digital files as part of the photo package

That’s a lot to consider, and that doesn’t even take into account accessories like picture frames and albums. Getting a family portrait done could turn out to be a very expensive proposition. I still want one, though, because some things are just worth paying for, ya know?

I’ve been suffering from acne ever since I was a teenager. I thought things would get better as I moved into adulthood, but that hasn’t been the case at all. So here I am at 34 years of age still buying and trying new skin care products for acne!

I first heard of the Paula’s Choice line of skin care products from an acne-related message board that I was checking. I bought two different items from the online store: the Skin Recovery Toner and the 2% beta hydroxy acid (BHA) gel. I liked the toner a lot, so I had high hopes that the BHA gel would work as well. Fortunately, it did!

In addition to suffering from acne, my skin happens to be very sensitive. That means that typical acne treatment products such as benzoyl peroxide tend to dry my skin to the point of irritation, which leaves me walking around with a red, flaky face. Not very attractive!

But I’ve always had better luck with salicylilc acid (aka beta hydroxy acid), so I was eager to try this product.

The Paula’s Choice BHA gel is great! It feels very light, is absorbed quickly, and can be worn under makeup, allowing me to treat my acne while still getting on with my life. According to product literature, the 2% BHA gel exfoliates both the skin’s surface and inside the pore lining, helping to clean up and prevent blackheads and blemishes. I will say that I definitely noticed improvement in this area, as I had far fewer blackheads while using the gel.

The only problem I have with Paula’s Choice 2% BHA gel is the price tag. It costs $17.95 for a 4oz. bottle, which is pretty expensive compared to other products out there. But since it works, I’m not going to complain too much about having to spend a bit more. I just wish this stuff had been around when I was in high school… it probably would have saved me from a lot of angst and embarrassment!

One of my friends is thinking about changing careers and going to law school. She has actually always dreamed of being a lawyer, but decided to pursue different studies in college. Now she regrets the path she took and wants to give law school a shot.

I’m a firm believer in the precept that it’s never too late to change your life for the better, so to push my friend along on this new trail, I’ve decided to buy her an LSAT prep book. My hope is that she’ll start preparing for the LSAT and at least sit for the test before making up her mind one way or the other.

I started looking around and read some reviews saying that the LSAT Logic Games Bible from PowerScore is one of the best prep books around. It specifically deals with the “logic games” section of the LSAT, which apparently trips many people up. The book gives strategies for how to approach each puzzle, and how to identify puzzles that you might be better off skipping.

Admittedly, I don’t know a whole heck of a lot about law schools or the LSAT, but lots of folks who have actually taken the test said this Logic Games Bible helped them out a ton. So if you’re an aspiring truck accident lawyer, patent attorney, or litigator, you might want to give this a look a couple months before you take the LSAT!