Even though I’m a self-proclaimed beauty product junkie, when I find something I like, I stick with it; I’m brand-loyal.  In the past I have tried several brands of mascara but when I found Christian Dior’s DiorShow the hunt was over.  I love this mascara and won’t use anything else.  However, I was talking to my cousin the other day and she said that she loves Maybelline Falsies.  My cousin is more of a junkie than I am and is well-versed in the latest make-up trends and products.  I was running low on DiorShow and since Target is much closer than the mall (and Maybelline is much cheaper than Christian Dior), I decided to give it a try.

I liked Falsies well enough.  For sure it was the best drugstore mascara that I have ever used.  But I didn’t find it as “rich” as DiorShow.  I felt that DiorShow gave me thicker and longer lashes with just one coat while my lashes with Falsies looked thin and spindly.

Here’s a comparison.  Both mascaras are waterproof and I applied just one coat to each eye, on the upper lashes only.

In photographs the difference is slight, but I think you can see in the second photo that my lashes are thicker with DiorShow.  For my money, DiorShow is the better mascara.  Sorry cousin!

I’m linking up on 

© 2011, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

Much to my surprise, lately I’ve been asked if I have lost weight.  I may have lost a few pounds, but really my body is just more toned and therefore I look better.  My eating habits haven’t changed that much, but I have been exercising extensively and it shows.   It took me a long time to find exercise that I like.   I think that is the key to exercising consistently–doing exercise that you like.  Over the last 12 months I have tried:

• Hooping (love it)
• Yoga (love it)
• Running (hate it)
• Pilates (love it)
• 30 Day Shred dvd by Jillian Michaels (like it okay, but boring doing the same thing)
• Wii EA Sports Active (love it)
• P90X (like it, but the workouts are so long, it’s like a full time job)
• Spin (hate it–okay, I’ve never even tried it, but it looks like I would hate it)
• Kettlebells (LOVE IT)

Out of all the exercises that I have tried, kettlebells are my absolute favorite.  Kettlebells are incredible!  In just 45 minutes (including warm-up and cool-down!) I get an intense cardio and strength workout that gets my heart pumping and works every muscle in my body.   My workouts are different every time, so I don’t get bored, but yet they are based on a handful of very basic and fundamental kettlebell moves that anyone can learn with instruction.  There are several kettlebell dvds for sell on Amazon, but the actual kettlebells can be quite expensive.  I bought one at Target to try at home with a dvd.  I did that for a couple of weeks, determined that I liked it, and then found a local kettlebell class.   After attending a workshop to learn proper technique and how to swing the kettlebell without hurting myself or anyone nearby, I signed up for a 3 month pass and attended faithfully 3 times a week.   I was hooked!   I am taking a break for the summer, but you can bet that I’ll be back in my kettlebell class in the fall because I miss it terribly.  I highly recommend exercising with kettlebells if you want to get fit, have fun and do it in a minimal amount of time.  I look and feel great.

Here’s a video that I made of a few basic kettlebell moves, just so you can get an idea of what’s involved.  I am not an exercise instructor and I suggest that you find a kettlebell class near you to learn proper form and technique.

What’s your favorite form of exercise?

© 2011, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

My love of Pinkberry started last summer in Los Angeles:

We had been in L.A. for a good week before I finally agreed to try Pinkberry.

Please, I thought, how good could it be?   I was alive during the first frozen yogurt craze, saw it fizzle out, but have enjoyed the recent resurgence.   The frozen yogurt shops here in Atlanta are pretty good, so how much different could Pinkberry be?   Frozen yogurt is frozen yogurt is frozen yogurt.

Reluctantly I strolled into Pinkberry with arrogant non-chalance……

…..where I had to pick my jaw up off the floor.  It was delicious!  It didn’t taste like other frozen yogurts.  It wasn’t cloyingly sweet, but fresh and clean-tasting.  It was tart, smooth and creamy.  The flavors were recognizable, but not over-bearing.

Everyone in the family agreed that it was the best frozen yogurt that we had ever tasted.  Over the course of several trips we tried mango, original, pomegranate, coconut, chocolate and watermelon.  My favorites were chocolate and mango swirled with original.  Sometimes I ate it plain on a cone and sometimes I added fresh fruit toppings like kiwi, raspberries, mango or blackberries.  I loved that the price included unlimited toppings because my kids really piled them on.    Their favorite toppings were mochi, animal crackers, cheesecake bites, brownies and gummy bears.   Those toppings kind of negate the low calories of frozen yogurt, but they didn’t care.  I do and I was thankful for the teeny 150 calories in a small cup of mango or original.

We ate Pinkberry several times while in L.A., sometimes several days in a row.  We couldn’t get enough!   It was that good.

Frozen yogurt is frozen yogurt is frozen yogurt; it’s true.   But then there’s Pinkberry.

*Alas, it’s not all good.  There is now a Pinkberry in Georgia, but why, WHY in the name of frozen yogurt did they open the first Pinkberry way out in the ‘burbs?    I may eat it in L.A. or New York before I eat it in Georgia because I rarely leave the city.   I’m really salty about that.

That post was written September 15, 2010 and now the 3rd Pinkberry in Georgia has opened on March 3rd.  While it’s still far from my hood, it’s across the street from Nordstrom and since I often make up errands to have lunch at the Bistro, I can just slide on by Pinkberry when I’m through.

The kids were on break last week and after some shopping for Girly and lunch at Nordstrom, we had dessert at Pinkberry.  I was already giddy walking into the shop, but this cup took me from giddy to gleeful:

That’s the newest Pinkberry flavor, Blood Orange, topped with blood orange puree and blueberries.  Ooooo-Weeee!   It was crazy good!  So good that I embarrassed my daughter by doing the happy dance.  Whatever.   Like I care?   I was too busy licking my spoon.  Just writing this blog post has me hyped, scheming for a legitimate drive to that side of town.  Oh yeah, I think I need to get my eyebrows done at the Anastasia counter at Nordstrom this week.  And Since Pinkberry is right across the streeet….

Wait, maybe I don’t want a Pinkberry close to my house.   I don’t think that I could control myself!

© 2011, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

*I don’t get paid for my opinions in any way; this is just me sharing stuff that I like and I think you will too.

Today is National Pancake Day at IHOP and there are free pancakes for everyone (however, it is a fundraiser for Children’s Miracle Hospital Network and you really should leave a donation).   We do not have an IHOP close to our house, so as we did last year, we will make pancakes at home to celebrate.  Last year I made crepes and posted a How To video on my YouTube Channel.  This year I will make pancakes using our favorite mix from Trader Joe’s and a new kitchen gadget from Williams-Sonoma, the Pancake Pen.

I am not really a kitchen gadget person.  I mainly go into Williams-Sonoma for the samples and I certainly didn’t intend on buying a Pancake Pen, I had never heard of such a thing.  But there was a display near the cash register and the salesperson raved about it, so for $9.95 I decided to give it a try.  My current way of pouring pancake batter straight from the bowl was messy and awkward.    After just one use I love the Pancake Pen!  The wide opening on the bottom makes it easy to load the pancake batter and squeezing the batter out of the top is effortless.  My pancakes are more uniform and overall using the Pancake Pen makes for a more enjoyable cooking experience.

I just bought a new waffle iron; I bet the Pancake Pen will be useful with making waffles as well.  I think this evening I will give it a try!

© 2011, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

*I don’t get paid for my opinions in any way; this is just me sharing stuff that I like and I think you will too.

The leaves are turning colors and falling to the ground, the air is crisp and the sun sets earlier.  It’s fall.  And that means one thing…Pumpkin Pancake Mix at Trader Joe’s!

I love pumpkin baked goods; don’t you?  Pumpkin bread, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin scones, pumpkin fudge (oh, my friend brought some pumpkin fudge to a school function once and she gave me the recipe…I must find that because it was so delicious)–they are all so yummy.

A few years ago I discovered the Pumpkin Pancake And Waffle Mix at Trader Joe’s and my pumpkin world was rocked.  I’m actually not a big pancake person, but these pancakes turn out so moist, so delicious and so pumpkin-y that I must make them every Saturday during the fall season.

I discovered the hard way last year that this pancake mix is seasonal; it appears sometime in October and when they run out, it is gone until next fall.  I’m no fool; I only make a mistake like that once.  This year I went to my local Trader Joe’s in early October and put my name on a list to be called when the shipment came in; this week I got the call.   Greedily I picked up the 3 reserved boxes and I will go back for some more next week.  I must stock up!

I urge you to run–don’t walk–to your local Trader Joe’s for the Pumpkin Pancake And Waffle Mix.  Do you think it’s just me who’s pumpkin mix crazy?   Ha! I wish.  Trader Joe shoppers are a devoted bunch to begin with, so you know any popular seasonal item is just going to cause mayhem.

Don’t get left behind making plain ‘ole boring buttermilk pancakes this fall.

Go.

Run.

Now.

******************

Other posts you have like about grocery shopping:

Let’s Go Shopping At Trader Joe’s

Let’s Go Shopping At Whole Foods

© 2010, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.