We moved last year, and I finally got around to selecting a new dentist in our new town and making appointments for the whole family. I took my 9 year old last week, and I was VERY impressed with the new dentist. The office was extremely new, everyone was very professional, polite, and friendly. The TV’s in every exam room were a hit with both my daughter and I. I certainly am lucky that the dental office I picked out of the blue turned out to be so great! If you’re looking to change dentists, you can use the helpful dental directory at EveryDentist.com to find yourself a winner like we did. I can’t promise you a TV in every exam room, but most of the dentists listed have specialities, like teeth whitening, dental implants, and veeners. That’s what I want – veneers! I may have to go back to the orthodontist to get my bottom teeth but after that, I am going to pay up and have the smile I’ve always wanted.

I went to the dermatologist this morning for an appointment. It’s been about 4 years since I’ve seen one, and I went to a new doctor this time since we’ve moved. The reason? Let’s see…I’m 30, I have grey hair, but my face still breaks out. And it annoys me to no end! I was on Accutane in 2003 and it worked beautifully, but for now, I’m going to try a new oral antibiotic to see if I can get things to shape up over the next 4 weeks. If I don’t see results, well, I’ll be taking the Accutane plunge once again.

I love to read People or US Weekly for laughs…my favorite parts are where they have the pictures of celebrities au natural…for example, wearing jammie pants and slippers to run a video back to Blockbuster. Or walking the dog in sweats. It’s nice to see celebs look NORMAL, and know that sometimes, they let their laser hair removal and botox injections fall by the wayside. For example, check out these pictures of Jennifer Garner. Without the makeup and the clothes, she’s just another mommy….

I guess the point of all this is that with a little work, you too can look like a star. Cause when they go without their “work”, they look just like us! A little laser hair removal, a little botox, a nose job – bam – you’re the next darling of Hollywood.

Are you loyal to a certain brand of skincare and makeup? I am…to a point. I use Clinique’s 3 step skincare and their foundation and powder. I don’t like their lipsticks though – it tends to bleed, and I found the perfect share through a friend of mine who sells Mary Kay. I will from time to time buy things at the store to try, but I hate spending $10 on a new lipstick and finding out that I don’t like how it wears or feels. I try to schedule my Clinique purchases for bonus time, so I can get freebies to try. Currently, I’m using an eyeshadow I got for free during bonus time.

I’m not a big hand lotion person, but today I’m in my office, and the weather is cold, and I pulled out a 2 year old bottle of hand cream and used it. Desperate times call for desperate measures! The cream I keep at work is some cheapy bottle my kids bought me for Christmas a few years bath. I learned early on not to bring the good stuff to work unless I was going to keep it under lock and key. I keep the good stuff – aka Purely Silk lotion by Bath & Body Works – at home. It’s awesome lotion, but it costs darn near $20 a bottle! I stocked up when it was on sale before Christmas, and it’s a good thing, because I hear that it’s being discontinued now

I’ve had three children, and I escaped with a single stretch mark. I know, I know, I’m one of the lucky few! I didn’t do anything special to my skin during pregnancy, and I was swollen like a balloon (I looked like I had a basketball under my shirt), so I honestly don’t know how I lucked out. Maybe Mother Nature was making up for all of the stetch marks I got BEFORE I was pregnant? I had a few growth spurts as a teenager and shot up to 5 foot 8. As a result, I’ve got tons of teeny white stretch marks on my hips and the sides of my thighs. If I had known that I could prevent stretch marks, I would have rubbed whatever it took all over my 12 year old hips. Tummy Honey is the hot new “IT” product being used by celebrities, and it’s not just for use during pregnancy. If it had been around years ago, I could have used it to prevent those marks from my growing pains! In addition to preventing and causing marks to face, it’s got a nice anti itch additive. As a former “belly itcher”…that’s AWESOME! I can’t tell you how much looks I got when I stuck a hand under my maternity top and madly scratched myself. Tummy Butter contains cocoa butter, shea butter, and plenty of vitamins to soothe your scratchy, stretchy skin and give you the pampering every mommy to be deserves! (Cause lord knows, you’re not going to be pampered after that baby comes! LOL)

In Italian, something beautiful is called “bellissimo”, and that’s where Belisi derives it’s company name from. Founder Peter Belisi knows that there’s more to being and seeing beauty than the fashions his company creates, so Belisi asks, "What’s Beautiful to You?"? Here’s my answer:

What’s beautiful to me? I recently participated in the 3-Day walk for breast cancer. Seeing thousands of women & men, from all walks of like, joining together for 3 days, is beautiful to me. Watching the opening ceremony, in the rain, standing next to strangers, who will be our friends after 60 miles, is beautiful to me. Seeing an empty circle on stage, to represent all of the men and women we’ve lost to breast cancer, and seeing strong men and women moved to tears over it, is beautiful. Watching walkers march ahead, determined to not let the cold and the rain stop them. Seeing families come out to cheer us on, and give us high fives, or hot chocolate, even though they don’t know who we are, but they support our cause. Beautiful is comparing blisters, and knowing that they are a symbol of our strength and devotion to the cause. Beautiful is seeing a participant in a wheelchair, unable to walk on her own, being pushed by a friend for 60 miles. It’s seeing a woman, just recently out of chemo, who has lost her hair, finish the walk and enter the survivor’s circle. Beautiful is finishing the walk after 3 days, and 60 miles, and knowing that I am a changed person.

Thank you to Belisi for sponsoring this post, and allowing me to tell you what I think is beautiful.

Have you been to Freebie Fanatic yet for your free samples? They’ve got everything from free stuff for babies to free wedding stuff, from free food to free coupons. Even free stuff for pets! (I could use that after dropping $400+ at the vet’s office yesterday!) They also have a HUGE selection of free health items, including free instructions for how to perform your monthly breast self exam. Oh, and the beauty freebie section has a great sample of Olay Body Reviver and Olay Total Effects Night Firming Cream, as well as free Dove Nourishing Lotion, free Garnier Fructis XXL Hair Volume Gel, and free Noxzema® Continuous Citrus Clean! Who doesn’t like free stuff?