Seize the Moment 5k Results & Manic Hair!

So the big Seize the Moment 5k race for the Epilepsy Foundation of Central and South Texas was a total success! There were so many people there, and it was just so much fun. Although I clocked in around 52 minutes, one member of my team, Arturo, won 1st place in our age group with a time around 18 minutes! I was totally blown away and honored to have a team member that won!

Purple Hair

I am SO excited for my Seize the Moment 5k coming up on November 5th for Epilepsy. I've been planning all day what I'm going to wear, how I'm going to do my hair, and all that jazz. I decided I'm actually going to dye it purple!Now we're not talking any crazy lavendar colors, but a really deep dark purple that people will notice when I do the 5k. And don't worry, I'll post pictures! I might even just keep it for a while - hopefully it doesn't scare away my Mary Kay customers!

A Few of My Favorite Things... Part 2

Hey guys, here is part 2 of the blog post that you wanted! I know that the last few blogs haven't said much about my seizures and that's because nothing NEW is happening... I'm actually hoping nothing too new happens because that would be bad. I will post more along with my next blog, but for now, here is part 2!

12.


S Factor Papaya Leave-In Moisture Spray: As I mentioned earlier, the S Factor hair care line by TIGI is really amazing if you're willing to spend the money. This is one of the individual products that you might like to add on to your regular hair care routine. You can buy this anywhere from $18 - 20.

13.


Secret Scent Expressions Clear Gel Deodorant: Normally I never use clear gel deodorant because it has the tendency to dry more slowly and come off easily compared to regular deodorant sticks. However, I bought myself some of this Secret Scent Expressions and I fell in love with it from the start. I bought "Cherry Mischief" but it also comes in Fabulously Floral, Oh-La-La Lavender, Va Va Vanilla, Totally Tropical and Pretty N' Peach. It doesn't stain or leave and residue on your clothes and it's perfect for those dark colored shirts and black little dresses! It doesn't have a thick scent but the smell stays great and it lasts all day! It sells for about $4.00 at most stores.

13.


Olay Regenerist Regenerating Serum: This is your dream if you have an uneven skin tone, wrinkles, lines, etc. I put it on at night after cleaning my face. It has a great scent and it goes on smoothly. After a few uses your skin feels amazing. If you have an acne problem be sure to wash your face well before use because it does contain a small, small amount of oil. This serum also contains some of the same amino acids that are used to get rid of crows feet and to smooth wrinkles. I recommend this for those who are worried about aging skin, wrinkles, uneven skin tone, or to those who just wish to preserve the look of their skin. I bought this for about $15.00 at my local grocery store.

14.


Nair Silky Sensations Hair Remover (Pomegranate and Soy): I have to be honest with all of you, I have never liked using Nair hair remover or hair remover in general. I have very sensitive skin and even the "most sensitive" hair remover products have literally made my skin bleed... so buying this to review it made me cringe at the thought of having to use it when I got home! I am happy to say that this hair remover was surprisingly gentle. It took all my hair off, no problem, and my legs are free of any burns! And there was no bleeding whatsoever. Unlike many hair removers, this product has a great scent and goes on very creamy instead of drying up. It is mixed with a moisturizer (as you can see from the swirls inside the bottle) and it left my legs looking and feeling great after the very first use. You can use it all over the body as well! I bought this for only $7.00 - what a steal!

15.


American Health Papaya Enzyme Supplement with Chlorophyll: I have often had troubles with digestion thus leading to that sickening taste and breath that accompanies those problems. By taking this after-meal supplement you aid your digestion with the enzymes while also sweetening your breath! I keep it in my purse everywhere I go and I think you should try it! The exact price I bought this for was $6.82 at Walgreen's, but prices do vary. ***I have tried other brands and none of them have worked as well as the American Health***

16.


Skintimate Moisturizing Cream Shave (for dry or sensitive skin): If any of you out there are like me, you often get very dry skin from shaving and sometimes even a bit of bleeding caused by razor burn. I gave up using shaving cream altogether about a year ago because the ones I used either didn't work or they were too dry for me. This cream is infused with olive butter and soy to make sure your legs aren't the least bit dry after your shave... it's the best you can get! At only $4.00 a bottle you can have noticeably softer legs and a great smooth shave without the razor burn and dry skin.

17.


Claudia Stevens Self Heating Purifying Mask: Aside from the amazing warming sensation you get when you use this mask, it is also deep-cleaning your pores and strengthening your skin! Great for all skin types and wont leave any irritation. I only tried a small trial bottle because I'm a skeptic when it comes to certain products, but I will definitely be going back to buy the big bottle! The big bottle costs $8.00 at Sally Beauty Supple and the trial size is only $1.99.

18.


Alba Hawaiian Lip Balms: They come in Coconut Cream and Pineapple Quench, but the Pineapple Quench would be my favorite. Made of real, natural ingredients, this lip balm leaves your lips feeling moisturized... without the feeling of caked on lip gloss. Alba Botanicals uses plant proteins, natural botanicals, vitamins, advanced sea enzymes and tropical fruit, nut and plant essences from the Hawaiian Islands - so you know this is some great stuff! $4.00 at your local Sally Beauty or WalMart.

19.


Young Living Essential Oils: This is my last choice for my list of favorites, and it is also one of the best that I recommend to everyone. I wouldn't go as far as saying that these oils will rid you of a certain disease, but this is what I will say. There are so many small ailments where we just run to the medicine cabinet to "fix ourselves". As I mentioned when I spoke of the Excedrin Migraine, I don't always use that medication even though I suffer from daily migraines. Most of the time I use essential oils to help get rid of headaches. At first I didn't believe that these oils worked at all. After the coaxing of my grandmother I started to use the oils, and I found out that they do a lot of good for the body. For instance, peppermint oil - it gets rid of headaches like no other pain killer I have ever used. Not to mention that it helps calm you which also helps relieve the pain. It also works well for an upset stomach or muscle pain. Wintergreen oil is great for back pain, and it is basically a completely natural version of Icy Hot. Same great warm and tingling feeling, except it's completely natural and 100% pure. My favorite oil blend is called Thieves, which is made up of cloves, rosemary and other oils. It is very powerful and has many uses. It is a natural way to kill germs, fungi and many viruses. It was said that this very concoction killed off the Bubonic Plague. I use this oil for everything from a disinfectant for my hands to getting rid of a stomach virus. It really does work, and if you want to purchase any of the oils I suggest the ones I mentioned above. There are a very wide variety, and you can find them all here. If you are very interested in Thieves alone, please click here.

I hope you all enjoyed the list of the things I use daily, along with some new things that I've fallen in love with this past week and a half. I hope those of you who voted for Part 1 and 2 were satisfied with my article and be sure to keep leaving suggestions because that makes it a lot easier for me to write things that interest you directly. I will try to fit in my family blog before I leave on vacation but It looks like a pretty busy week this week so I'm not sure if I will be able to. However, I promise you all that I will post my family blog as soon as I get back home. Thanks for all the feedback and I would love more! God bless and be sure to try some of the products on these two lists!

- Mandy Krzywonski

A Few of My Favorite Things... Part 1

You all asked for it, so here it is! This is my blog about some of my favorite products. Everything from headache medicine to shampoos to tampons! I hope you enjoy reading and maybe you'll even try a few of these products. Some of them are low priced and a few are pretty expensive. I basically went out and bought a bunch of things so I could give you reviews on the things I liked best.
I also noticed that the second place topic was a blog about my family, and since so many of you wanted that I will try to post a blog before I leave about my family. If I can't do it before I leave I will do it as soon as I get home! Thanks for all of the participation! I love you guys!

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1.


Noxema Triple Clean Anti-Blemish Pads: These are by far the best cleaning pads when it comes to being a teenager with annoying acne. I never had acne until I started getting on my new medication called Vimpat. This was the third brand of Anti-Blemish pads that I tried and they work wonders if you use them regularly. I suggest you try them out. They run for about $3-4.

2.


Alba Hawaiian Papaya Mango Body Cream: It doesn't smell too good, but it really helps moisturize dry or damaged skin. I use it on my feet after giving myself a pedicure and then I slip into some soft socks and the next day I have feet like a baby. This is a pretty good sized tub in my opinion and it runs at about $9 in most stores.

3.


Jergens Original Scent Cherry-Almond Dry Skin Moisturizer: It's a classic, made a long time before I was born. I personally only started using it because of the cherry-almond smell, but what it does for your skin is what keeps you buying it. I put it all over my body and my skin always looks like new, even when I'm out in the sun all day. The moisture doesn't dry out like most lotions will and it isn't oily so it does not cause break outs. The big 21 oz. bottle goes for about $6-7 at most stores.

4.


St. Ives Cellulite Shield: If you are like most women you will eventually develop some cellulite around your thighs at one point or another, and this is a great way to make it less noticeable. This gel tones your skin and in about two weeks it has its full effect. I've only used it for one week and my legs look great! It sells for $8.50 - 9.00. Unlike other cellulite lotions it doesn't have a nasty smell, but instead it has a barely noticeable but sweet fragrance.

5.


L'Oreal Sublime Bronze Tinted Self-Tanning Lotion: This small bottle lasts about 3 weeks if you use it about twice a week and it gives you an instant bronze. The color takes about an hour to set in fully and lasts a long time. It's great if you are planning on going swimming because it doesn't wash off easily. Sublime Bronze also contains vitamin E to reduce the dry skin that most self-tanners can cause. However, this lotion isn't oily so you wont have to worry so much about it staining your clothes. I bought this for $7.00 exactly at WalMart.

6.


Dr. Scholl's For Her Smooth My Sole Micro File: Just like the Pedi-Egg, but in my opinion much better. For only $7.00 ($3.00 less than the Pedi-Egg) the blade is much better and it comes with 3 smoothing pads. I recommend this to people with moderately dry feet. If you have severely callused feet, see #7.

7.


Artemis Woman Heel Smoother: I bought this about a week ago. Like I mentioned above, this is good for people with severely callused feet (which would be me). I never paid attention when my grandmother told me to wear socks at all times and I walked around barefooted for most of my life... and my feet were horrible. After just one use, I could see and feel a total difference in my feet. After using the Artemis Woman Heel Smoother I washed and soaked my feet in hot water for five minutes and applied the Alba body cream... and of course, I put socks on. Out of all the things on my list, I recommend this product the most! It only costs about $15.00 but I have seen it a little bit higher at some stores. Your best bet is to buy it at WalMart.

8.


Excedrin Migraine Extra Strength: This wasn't the best picture to find, but it's the same medication. They changed the look of the pills and they are now round and half white, half green. When you suffer from migraines such as I do, it's hard to find a pain killer that works. The great thing about Excedrin is that it contains caffeine which is something that surprisingly helps get rid of headaches. Sometimes caffeine is really all you need. Excedrin usually costs about $6-8 at most stores. WARNING: If you suffer from daily migraines you should consult a doctor first. Excedrin should not be used daily. I have migraines almost everyday but I only use Excedrin every now and then for the really bad ones.

9.


Tampax Compak Pearl On The Go: If you're a woman, you know how annoying it is to always have to remember to carry your tampons around with you. It's also annoying when your tampons are the size of a pencil. What's great about these tampons is that they are discreet and you can leave them in your purse for as long as you need and no one would ever notice. They are about 2 1/2 inches long and they fit perfectly inside a wallet or pocket in your purse... even your jean pocket! They are very comfortable to use as well. A pack of 40 only costs about $6.50.

10.


S Factor by TIGI "Serious Conditioner": This is a little more pricey, especially if you buy the whole line of shampoos, conditioners, sprays, etc. I do use the shampoo and moisturizing spray as well, but since it costs so much I only really recommend using the serious conditioner. It costs at the least $35.00... but what it does for your hair is amazing. You only need to use it about once a week. It contains vitamin E, sunflower seed oil, mint, papaya, silk, and tons of other things that will leave your hair feeling like you just made it out of the womb. All you do is put it all over your hair, let it sit for 5 minutes (or longer if you wish) wash it out, and voila! You can get it online for cheaper, at least that is what I've been told by a friend. She said she got a smaller tube of it for about $20. I hope some of you will at least give it a try! I love it.

11.


L'Oreal Lash Boosting Serum: Believe it or not, it works. My medication makes my hair very brittle, and that affects even your lashes. I use this in the morning, under my makeup and before bed. My lashes are much stronger than they ever were, and they even appear to be longer! This costs about $12 but it's very worth it if you really want to achieve gorgeous lashes!

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This is the end of Part 1 of A Few of My Favorite Things! I hope you will try some of these products, and keep tuned in for Part 2 coming tomorrow!