Tria Age-Defying Laser - After My 12 Weeks Of Treatment

As some of you may have previously read, in February, I was chosen by Tria Beauty to be a part of their ambassador program for their new Age-Defying Laser.  This means that they did give me the Tria Age-Defying Laser to review and keep, but all opinions that I express on her are my own and I have not been given any financial compensation from them.  I completed the full 12 weeks of treatment with the Age-Defying Laser and wanted to give everyone an update.

To refresh everyone, Tria recommends treating 5 days a week with a 2 day break each week for 12 weeks.  I started on treatment level 1 for 1 week which helped my skin get used to the laser (treatment time is 2 minutes on this level - 30 seconds in each zone), then treatment level 2 for 2 weeks (treatment time is 4 minutes - 1 minute in each zone), and then treatment level 3 for 9 weeks (treatment time is 10 minutes - 2 1/2 minutes per zone).  This worked really well for gradually getting my face/skin used to the treatments and to building it into  my daily routine.  On treatment level 3, 10 minutes can sound like a long time, but by that point I was used to it and excited to use it each day.  I was already seeing results by that point and so it was a great motivator.

Tria recommends cleansing your skin with their Priming Cleanser right before each treatment to remove any impurities that can block the laser's light, and to also use their Finishing Serum to help sooth, hydrate, and brighten your skin at the end of each treatment.  It is also recommended that you apply a facial sunscreen every morning during treatment.  Because I wanted to see the best results possible, I followed all of the recommendations.  I mentioned in a previous post that I have very fair and sensitive skin.  I as really happy to find that the Priming Cleanser worked very well on my skin and I did not notice any sensitvity or reaction to it.  I wanted to make sure my skin was properly cleansed because it makes sense that anything on your skin could block your pores and also affect the light of the laser from being as effective.  I would also thing that then the laser would pick up more dirt from your skin.  It is important that if you feel less sensation from the laser during the treatment that you might want to clean the laser off.  I simply wiped mine off with a soft cloth every week or two.  While I felt a mild tingling sensation during treatments in each zone, it was not uncomfortable or painful in any way.  I would develop some mild redness on my face that within a couple of hours or by the next morning, was gone completely.  I loved how the Finishing Serum felt so silky and smooth on my skin.  I recently read that you can keep the Finishing Serum in the fridge, so that when you apply it after a treatment, the coolness can also help soothe your skin.  I may try this when I start my next 12 weeks of treatments.

I was amazed that within a couple of weeks into my treatment that I could already start to see results. In the side by side above, the picture on the left is right before I started using the Age-Defying Laser, and the picture on the right is 4 weeks after finishing the 12 weeks.  The result that surprised me the most, was the fading of my scar (that I also mentioned in a previous post) that I have had for 3 years.  I also noticed my skin tone and texture improve, an age spot on the side of my face faded, the wrinkles on my forehead have diminished, and my smile lines on the sides of my mouth have also faded.  I have had a few people comment to me how great my skin looks.

Tria recommends taking at least a 4 week break before starting another 12 week cycle.  I was torn as to whether to start another treatment cycle or wait until we were through the summer.  However, I was excited to start again (after 5 weeks) and so I started a new treatment cycle last night.  I have found that using the Age-Defying Laser became a part of my evening routine within a couple of weeks and that I look forward to the treatments.  Plus, being able to see the results so soon after beginning treatments is a great motivatorl.  I feel that now I can be proactive in decreasing the signs of aging in my face!

I do not believe in buying every product on the market that says that it can improve aging.  Let's face it, you can spend a ton of money!  I want to get the most bang for my buck.  I love that once you purchase this device it is yours.  In-office fractonal non-ablative laser treatments, which is the same technology that the Age-Defying Laser uses, can easily run $1000 per session and you'll need 2-3 session.  I do not have to take time out of my busy schedule to go to appointments, and quite frankly, I could not afford to do these.  I have also heard of the chemical peels that are very pricy, uncomfortable (to put it nicely), and leave your face looking fried while you recuperate.  I would not want to go through that level of discomfort and then have down time where I didn't want to show face.  With the Age-Defying Laser, I was able to do my treatment every evening and leave the house in the morning without any redness or signs of treatment that would leave people asking me questions.  I also like that there has been a study done with evidence-based results, and that it is FDA cleared.  This gives me the peace of mind that it is safe and that the majority of users had measurable results.  The results from the study show that 92% of users were satisfied with the treatment and results!

I would definitely recommend the Age-Defying Laser as well as following all of the instructions and tips that Tria provides.  Right now Tria has a promotion going on that you can take advantage of if you decide you want to purchase one where you get a 2 week skincare starter kit plus Finishing Eye Treatment by using the promo code "SKINCARE".

100 Good Deeds

Earilier this week, I received an email that I had been chosen to receive a 100 Good Deeds Bracelet.  What is that you ask?  100 Good Deeds was started by Mary Fisher partnering with vulnerable women in Africa to make jewelery to help them earn a dignified living.  When you purchase one of these bracelets (mine was given to me), you have done your first good deed by helping to employ 1 vulnerable woman.  Work gives these women dignity and freedom. The person who sent me mine was doing a good deed giving it to me!  That means if you give someone one of these you have done 2 good deeds!  When mine came in the mail today it made my day and I opened it with anticipation because I didn't even know what color I was receiving.

What does this bracelet do for you?  Hopefully it opens you to see the need for compassion and to hear the call for kindness.  Is this something you are conscious of in your daily life?  I think we can always use a gentle reminder to have compassion for others.  

Inside the card packaging it was written that Hellen Nhendwa of Zambia made my bracelet.  Reading her name touched my heart!  Now I will pray for her daily.  Inside the card packaging it explains how your bracelet works.  Each bracelet is made with 100 glass beads threaded threaded onto a hand braided nylon thread using a lucet tool.  At the end of the 100 beads a single rubber ring is added.  This ring is to be moved over 1 bead at a time with each good deed you do, moving the ring closer and closer toward the 1GD button.  The rules are that a "good deed" is you going out of your way to  help someone and only counts if the deed remains anonymous.  I have always believed that it is important to help/do good for others with a giving heart.  I don't believe you should do a good deed expecting something in return or to use to promote yourself.  I think you should always ask where your heart is when doing something for another.  What could feel better than doing something selfless for another?  You can read more at 100 Good Deeds.  I look forward in the days to come to be able to continuously in the days to come to find ways to quietly be able to slide my ring over bead by bead!

Don't You Just Love Cleaning Your Toilets?

Maybe you do, but I am going to guess that most of you don't.  I will tell you that cleaning bathrooms is my least favorite room to do and that cleaning toilets ranks last.  In fact, if there was one thing I could hire someone to come into my home and clean, it would be my bathrooms.  With 3 little boys and my husband, that can make the situation even less desirable.  So what if I told you that I have some items that could make the task a little easier?

The one thing that I am fortunate to have, is soft water.  However, what I am about to share with you should make your life even easier with hard water.  The first thing is to get those toilets clean.

What you see in the picture above, is a combination that Don Aslett Cleaning Center sells.  Here you see their bowl caddy and johnny mop with their Safety Foam.  The Safety Foam is a professional strength foaming bowl cleaner that is rated #1 by their customers as "the best toilet bowl cleaner ever".  You must use the Johnny mop to plunge the water level down below the water ring.  You then put 1-2 oz of the Safety Foam on the Johnny mop and then agitate the bowl swab inside the toilet bowl and up under the rim while paying particular attention to the water ring.  The high foaming action allows the Safety Foam to cling to the inside of the bowl to help lenthen the dwell time of the cleaner to the soil.  You then allow the Safety Foam to  stay inside the bowl for 4-7 minutes (I like leaving it for the full 7 minutes).  You then give the Safety Foam a few final swishes in the bowl and then flush.

If you still have a ring in your toilet and may need to do some further scrubbing.  In the past I have used a pumice stone, but now have found something even better at the same store.

A pumice stone may leave scratches in your porcelain toilets.   The ShawsPads (you can by little ones without the handle too) are amazing!  Believe me, that with just a little bit of elbow grease, you can get rid of that ring, even if you have hard water!

Once you have gone to the work of getting your toilet that clean, you want to keep it that way right?  They recommend using once a week.

A few years ago, I read on a coupon blog a great way to keep those toilet rings gone - Brominating Tablets.

You can buy them wherever hot tub supplies are sold.  This container was purchased at Walmart.  You simply take the lid off the toilet tank, and place 3 tablets initially in the top right corner of the tank.  Then about every 3 weeks, you put 2 new ones in.  I have been doing this now for about 3 years and it definitely works.  If I miss the 3 week mark, I will start to see build up in my toilets and then I know that it's time to get some tablets back in there.  This really makes my weekly cleaning so much easier and less labor intensive!

Protecting Your Skin - Coppertone Deal You Won't Want To Miss

Using sunscreen to protect your skin is very important.  For every sunburn you have, your risk of developing skin cancer increases greatly.  Sun exposure can also greatly increase those wrinkles and signs of aging.

This week Target has a sale on Coppertone sunscreen where you buy one and get one for 50% off.  If you go to coupons.com , their is a coupon for $2 off any Coppertone Clearly Sheer product that you can print.  You can print 2 coupons per computer or device you are printing from.  Target has a coupon policy where you can't use more than 4 of the same coupon per day, so I printed 4.  You can also put the Target Cartwheel app on your smartphone where you can go through the offers on there and add them to where the store scans your barcode on your phone and you can increase your savings.  Right now on the Cartwheel app, there is an offer for an additional 25% off of any Coppertone Clearly Sheer product.

I went into the store and purchased 4 Coppertone Clearly Sheer items pictured below that were priced at $6.99 each with the second one being $3.49 (remember this week the second one is 50% off).  I then used the 4 coupons I printed and had them scan my Cartwheel barcode.

This brough the total for everything to $8.63 that I had to pay making each item cost $2.15 with tax.  My total savings was $20.26 or I saved 70%.  Sunscreen can get pricy and I have always found any Coppertone product I have used to be excellent quality and to be very effective in keeping my family's skin from getting sunburnt.  Remember, you are supposed to reapply sunscreen every 2-3 hours when out for extended periods of time.

This sale is running until midnight this Saturday night so if I was you, I would catch this sale before it is over.

Father's Day Dinner - Grilled Steak and Crab Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

I wouldn't post another recipe/meal so quickly except that this meal came out so delicious and when I posted a picture on facebook, I received many request for the recipe for the crab stuffed portobello mushrooms.

I will tell you that after reading another recipe for crab stuffed portobello's, I just created my own for these.

At Costco, I purchased a package of their portobello mushrooms and a container of their Arichoke & Jalapeno dip as well a a package of their New York Strip steaks.

I already had a 1lb package of imitation crab meat and green onions at home.  I simply chopped up the imitation crab, chopped up 1 bundle of green onions, and mixed the crab and onions together with half the container of Artichoke & Jalapeno dip.  I washed my portobello mushrooms and sprayed the outside of them with PAM cooking spray.  I then spooned the crab mixture into each one and sprinkled paprika on top.  Because we own a Traegar grill, I let the mushrooms smoke for about 20 minutes before turning up the temperature to cook the steaks.  While the grill was heating up for the steaks, I seasoned them and seared them in a cast iron griddle in the house.

I have to say that this was the best Father's Day BBQ I have made!  We had 2 stuffed portobellos left over that were almost as good reheated as leftovers.  I will definitely be making these again!

My Favorite "New" Way To Cook Pasta - One Pot Pasta

Have any of you not caught the Pinterest bug yet?  I do not spend a lot of time on there, but when I am looking for ideas for different things I find myself on there.  I am a visual person and so the images that then can lead me to tutorials and/or recipes on how to make things are wonderful!  A few months ago, I started to see pictures popping up of making pasta dinners "all in one pot".  They caught my attention and here about 6 weeks ago, I decided to try it.  I was thrilled with the results and so were my husband and the boys.

The first time I made it, I used one box of pasta, 3 cans of chicken broth, one can of diced tomatoes, 3 fresh cloves of garlic chopped, 1 medium onion cut into thin slices, dried oregano,  some finely chopped cauliflower I had left from a veggie tray, fresh mushrooms, and some fresh spinach and 2 tablespoons of olive oil drizzeled on top.  I brought everything to a boil as recommended, and then turned down to a simmer and stirred every 2 minutes for about 10-15 minutes while I reduced the chicken broth.  At the same time, I sauteed 3 chopped chicken breasts with seasoning in a separate pan.  I then mixed the chicken in with the pasta pot at the very end.  I have to say it turned out great and the fresh flavor to the whole mixture was wonderful!  Everyone ate it and loved it.

This spring, my husband has really decided to get into gardening in our backyard.  He built this amazing planter in May and it has now become our fresh herb garden.

About 2 weeks ago, I decided it was time to make pasta all in one pot again and realized that I had our wonderful new herb garden to be able to use fresh herbs and was pretty excited.  We also have a sugar snap pea plant that has started producing pretty well and so I decided I would use them as well in the pasta.

This time, my combination included: 3 different kinds of fresh basil and cilantro from the herb garden and the sugar snap peas.

I am sorry that I didn't take a picture of it when it was all done, but I have to tell you that it was wonderful!  I have even used whole wheat pasta both times I have made it, and my husband and the boys didn't even notice because the flavors are so fresh and tasty.  I can't believe what a healthy way this is to make a meal that incorporates grains, vegetables, and meats in such a tasty way and so I just had to share with everyone.

Getting Stocked Up For Summer And Beyond

Couponing is all about stocking up when there is a good sale combined with your coupons.  Today was a good example of that.  I went in to get stocked up on Bugles, Gardettos, and Chex and discovered some other really great deals.

In the picture above, I got the 10 bags of snacks I went in for that were on sale for .98 cents each and had coupons for an additional .25 cents off each.  I then found the chicken legs (which are huge by the way) for buy 1 get 2 free.  I had a coupon for .55 cents off the A1 and an additional coupon for $1 off meat when you purchase A1.  The Tic-Tacs were on sale for $1 each and I had coupons for $1 off 2.  The butter (worth $2.50) was free when I spent $25.  My total for everything came to $38.28 and I saved $72.26, for a total savings of 67%.

While at the store, we saw that they had bottles of Hawaiian Punch marked down from $2.98 to $1.98.  It was at this point I knew I needed to go home and print some coupons.  On coupons.com there is a coupon to print for buy 1 get one free.  At home I also printed off more coupons for the Gardettos/Chex/Bugles for .50 cents off 2 and coupons for .30 cents per bag of Haribo gummies.

When I got done printing, we went back and got 10 bottles of the Hawaiian Punch, 6 more packaged of the chicken legs, and 16 more bags of the snacks, 6 bags of Haribo gummies, and another free box of butter.

In total today, I got 12 packages of chicken legs, 10 bottles of Hawaiian Punch, 2 boxes of butter, 26 bags of the Gardettos/Bugles/Chex, 20 Tic Tacs, and 6 bags of Haribo gummies.  I spent a grand total on everything of $84.37 and saved $168.11 for a total savings of 67%.

The chicken legs will freeze and be great for summer BBQ's, and the Hawaiian Punch will also be great for summer BBQ's and parties.