The Chronic Consumer

A few months ago, I’d been having some trouble with my feet. I didn’t visit a doctor or anything, so I can’t be 100 percent sure what the problem was, but it felt like arch pain from having lack of proper support in my shoes. To make things even worse, the summer was coming up, which meant I’d be wearing flip-flops, slides, and sandals — none of which are known for great arch support.

Instead of risking even more damage to my feet, I decided to buy a really good pair of sandals and stick to them for the whole summer. After much shopping around and research, I settled on these Nike Rejuven8 Mules. I read a ton of reviews saying how comfortable these mules were, how much support they provided, etc. and decided to try them out for myself.

I’ve had them for about 2 months, but waited to write this review because I wanted to make sure I would be exposed to everything about the shoes before rendering a final judgment. For now, I can say that they’re amazing!

The Nike Rejuven8 Mules are every bit as comfortable as I expected. They have feature the newish Torch technology, which is essentially a three-layer design that consists of a rubber diamond pattern to help the shoe hold its shape, and a couple of mesh-like inner layers that help wick moisture away to keep your foot cool and dry. Whatever the technology actually consists, of it’s great! One thing I’ve noticed is that my mules do not have any creases in the body like regular shoes get from where the shoe bends as you walk. They look really good still, even after two months of daily use.

The inner lining of the shoe has little bumps all over it (sorry, I don’t know the technical term), which serve to massage your feet as you walk. This takes a bit of time to get used to, though. At first I thought the inner was rather painful after using the shoe for a long period of time. But now I think it feels very good. The inner is also removable so you can clean it, which is definitely a plus when you’re talking about sandals.

If I had to single out one thing that I don’t like about the Rejuven8 Mules, it’s the white soles. They just get so dirty and nasty looking after a while!

Overall, I think the Nike Rejuven8 Mule is one of the best summer/casual shoes on the market. They’re a little too casual to wear even to dress-down days at your office administration job, but they’re great for weekends or errands. At a retail price of around $70, they’re quite expensive; however, the price is offset by how extremely comfortable and durable they are. I have a feeling they’ll last me two or three summers at least, making the price worth it. This shoe is highly recommended!

I have thick, unruly hair that tends to frizz in high humidity and just remain rather poofy and unmanageable at all times. No matter what kind of mousse or styling products I used, my hair would puff out around my head and just look terrible.

I tried Pantene’s Frizzy to Smooth conditioner a few weeks ago, not really expecting any dramatic results. After all, I’ve used things like this in the past without success. But this particular product actually works very well for me! It’s not as though it made my hair straight as an arrow, but it’s at least as effective as running a dehumidifier on the muggiest summer days. My hair now hangs closer to my head instead of puffing out, and though it still gets a bit curly at the ends, it’s not an all-out frizz any more.

I definitely recommend this product and will continue using it as much as I can. Wow, it’s great to have manageable hair again!

For the past few years, I’ve been fighting what I thought was extremely stubborn acne across my forehead. These were not full-blown nodules or cysts or anything like that. These were small (yet clearly visible) flesh-colored bumps all over my forehead (particularly concentrated near my temples) that never seemed to go away. I tried every OTC acne treatment known to man, but nothing ever worked. I even spent more than $800 on dermatologist visits and prescriptions for Clindamycin, Differin, and others, but again, nothing cleared up my “acne”. It was a very frustrating and embarrassing situation.

I used to torture myself by reading acne horror stories over at acne.org, and imagining that my skin could actually deteriorate to the point where I would no longer want to leave the house — like some of the folks that posted over there. But I also started reading some product reviews and other threads, and learned that my “acne” might not even be acne at all. It might be a fungal infection that mimics acne — which would explain why NONE of the OTC/prescription treatments even made a dent. The people who had this fungal infection used prescription Nizoral cream with 2% ketoconazole. I’d spent so much money at that point and was so desperate to try anything that I figured I’d part with another $14 for a tube of Nizoral.

When the product arrived, I was a bit scared about using it, particularly since I bought it from one of those online pharmacies and did NOT actually get diagnosed by a doctor or anything. So I just tried it in one corner of my forehead, a part that is easily hidden by hair or a hat in case of a massive breakout. After a few days, I didn’t notice any adverse effects, so I started putting Nizoral all over my forehead. 10 days later, I was COMPLETELY CLEAR!!!!!

I am not exaggerating when I say my forehead has not looked this smooth and clear in five years! I cannot believe that my problem wasn’t even acne!!!! I cannot tell you how wonderful it feels to be all cleared up like this and not have to worry about what I look like or what other people are thinking when they see my “acne” covered forehead. Wow!!!!

I stopped using Nizoral on a daily basis once I cleared up, and now just put it on once or twice a week for a “maintenance dose”. The last thing I want is for my skin to build up a tolerance for Nizoral and then not respond to it anymore!! I have gotten one or two legitimate pimples in that time, but those dried up after a couple applications of benzoyl peroxide — which is exactly what should happen.

The bottom line here: for those of you with bumps or bumpies or whatever you want to call them on your forehead, you might not be dealing with acne at all. See your dermatologist and bring up the idea of a fungal infection. Nizoral with 2% ketoconazole has changed my life!!!

I haven’t always been the biggest fan of Goldfish Crackers because they never struck me as a very satisfying snack. But my son absolutely loves the things, and I guess over the years I’ve acquired a taste for them myself. Now I totally dig the 100 Calorie Packs that Pepperidge Farm puts out. I always carry one in my bag and have a couple in my car too just in case hunger strikes when I’m away from home. It used to be that I’d stop off at McDonald’s or someplace like that for an order of fries and a Coke. No more, though. I just grab my Goldfish pack and I’m good to go!

With this being Easter Sunday and all, I thought I’d write about a product that will probably find its way into millions of Easter baskets around the world. Yes, I’m talking about Peeps. I don’t particularly care for the original Peeps marshmallow concoctions, but the milk chocolate variety. These things provide just the right combination of chocolate and marshmallow taste, and are actually pretty darn good. Yes, I bought a lot for my son’s Easter basket, but I held back a good amount for myself as well!

OK, can I just tell you that I love this Cherry Mischief deodorant from Secret?? I’ve been using Secret ever since they came out with their clear gel stuff because I absolutely hate white, flaky deodorants. And Secret generally works pretty well, while coming in a nice enough variety of scents.

But prior to trying Cherry Mischief about a year ago, I’d never come across a particular scent that I really loved. I would just grab whatever was on the shelf and be on my merry way.

I’m useless at describing scents, so I can’t explain what Cherry Mischief smells like. Yes, there’s definitely a hint of cherry in there, but it’s not overpowering or anything. It’s just a wonderful smell that is great after a shower. I think I’m addicted to this stuff!

I love getting freebies, but often don’t bother signing up for stuff because most of the time I don’t even end up using what I get. But Marlboro recently gave away custom water bottles with their logo on it just for filling out a form on their website, and I decided to take advantage because I can always use a new water bottle.

I was too lazy to take a picture of mine, so I found an approximation of the water bottle and included the image in this post. It’s very cool because of the lid that unscrews and the carabiner keyring. The bottle is made of aluminum too, so I expect it to last a good long time.

I threw it in the dishwasher tonight and will use it for tomorrow’s workout!

I don’t have money to go to a spa all the time, but I try to go every 3-4 months or so for some basic treatments. For example, I get a full body massage to remove some of the tension and muscle pain that has built up from exercising or simply being hunched over my keyboard all day, and I also get a facial, at which point the employees invariably push me to buy acne scar cream. I have one very noticeable acne pit/scar high up on my cheek under my right eye, but I’ve learned to live with it. I also get a manicure, pedicure, and maybe get my hair cut and styled if I have the cash.

I last went to the spa on the Friday before Valentine’s Day because my husband gave me a gift card as my V-Day present. It was very relaxing and enjoyable… it’s just too bad I don’t have an extra $250 to spend every month!