Product Review: Simple Sugars Body Scrubs

Ok, I'm not one to see something on TV and feels the need to buy it, but all the stars aligned: I had some expendable income that was burning a hole in my pocket; I have insanely dry skin in the summer; and I was watching TV.

I was watching ABC's SharkTank, which is where people pitch these ideas to D-list celebrities who have money to invest in businesses. My parents and I watch this from time to time. A young, well-spoken woman came on and pitched her sugar scrub line. Typical stuff with all natural ingredients that promise smooth skin and maybe some cures for dry skin. I wasn't committed at the time, but I though "oh how nice." Later that night, I felt the itch to buy something and decided to check out some web sites. I need shoes, clothes, and gasoline. I also decided to check out the Simple Sugars website.

First, I was impressed by the tone. Lani (the creator) chooses a more informal tone that clearly targets younger women. Then she grabbed me by the variety of smells and scrub products. I am not a scrub person, actually, I am not a person who puts myself within my top 10 priorities; however, I am trying to change that. I need to take better care of myself, but more on that later.

The prices were fair. For a 16-oz tub of scrub is $16.95, while an 8-oz tub is $11.95. Logic told me to just go make my own scrub with a Pinterest recipe, but 1) I do not have time, 2) don't have the patience to be mixing oils, and 3) probably would end up making a product that would burn my face off. Also, I love supporting small businesses. If I look at a business model and immediately think "Oh I'd love to work there," then I do not mind spending my money.

So I forego the shoes, clothes, and gasoline for two weeks and bought two scrubs. Green Tea with Tea Tree Oil 5-oz Facial Scrub for $16.95 and a Peach-scented body scrub. For some reason, I was insanely excited and couldn't wait for the product to get here. Due to the popularity of the scrub after the re-airing of the television episode, it took a little longer than expected, but a reasonable amount of time.

Today the product got here in a cute little box. It comes with tiny stirring spoons. I love tiny spoons! You start by using the tiny spoons to mix the sugar, so the oils are evenly distributed. Then you put some stuff on your fingers and scrub. Immediately, I was hit by the aromas, which were pleasant. It was difficult trying to determine the consistency of the scrub. You don't want it too wet or too dry. I think I went too dry this first time. I started with the facial scrub. It felt rough, but good. I left it on for a few moments as I hopped into the shower. As I rinsed it off, I could feel what felt like an oily film on my face, but then I realized that was just smoothness. The scrub does not feel oily at all. In fact, my skin is insanely smooth.

Tomorrow, I will try the Peach body scrub and cannot wait! I think I will make this my Saturday/Sunday routine. Just something to treat myself.

Lecture review: Microinequities

Today I attended an interesting lecture about micro-inequities. In a nutshell, it's all the passive aggressive actions intentional or unintentional that can occur in a conversation. For example leaving someone off an important email chain may make that person feel left out, though the sender may have not done it intentionally. What I learned is that there are at least two sides to every action even if the intentions were meant to be good.

The speaker was Michael Freeman from UCF. He started by asking two questions to ponder:
- How do you reward yourself?
- How do you punish yourself?

As he suspected, most people do not reward themselves enough and that the punishments that we do to ourselves when things go wrong are far too severe. These actions that we do to ourselves also reflect exactly how we treat others professionally and personally.

Another interesting concept that he touched on briefly was "empathy fatigue." This is when you no longer care  or more professionally: "Emotional detachment brought about by prolonged emotional exposure." In other words, being so consumed by something whether it's work or personal problems that all emotions of sympathy become the same. I can say that I suffer from this and I'd wager that 75% of my colleagues do too. I would love to discuss ways to break this chain, but Freeman also said that he put forth a rule that says "I will only work as hard as my boss/client." 

I've always been one to say that change starts from the top down. I try to embody the ideals that I strive to maintain in my personal and professional life, but in the end, you are responsible for yourself and your actions. 

In conclusion Freeman said something that stuck with me: "You can't control what someone else does, you can only control how you react." He challenged each of us to be brave and have meaningful conversations. If it's a sensitive topic, then the only way to clear the air is to ask the question "why do you say that?" This is because we should always be open to learning and only when all parties are willing to listen and understand, can anything be solved. 

Being Qualified

This month one of my goals is to "Be Qualified." This goal came about after I got tired of not getting job interviews because I do not meet the minimum job requirements, despite being fully capable of performing the job.

On a side note: me getting tired of not being able to do ____. Is usually how I get myself into some strange flights of fancy. I wonder at one point does one decide to give up pursuing flights of fancy. In recent months, I've become aware that I should settle down, but it's hard without a job that pays  enough to live independently.

I've started exploring the idea of going back to school again. This time for my Master's degree. The biggest roadblocks are finances and, of course, time. Then of course, this would be the last degree I would get before embarking on my career. I've considered a few things from an MFA in writing to MBA in Marketing to Certificate in Information Technology. I can safely say that I know what I do not want to do. I also know my life goal is to have a career where the work I do makes a difference. I'd also preferably like to be paid enough to live comfortably and provide for my family.

I also hate that I only speak two languages: English and Tourist. Ideally, I'd like to learn to speak Spanish, Portuguese, or some Asian language. I'll be working on this.

There was a time when the Bachelor's Degree guaranteed that you got a good job. Now the whole scheme has shifted. Everyone has a Bachelor's Degree and the edge is for those with the Master's. I'd be curious to see if in the future you'd need a Ph. D. to get an entry level job.

Those who know me over the past decade know that my flights of fancy usually last for 2-years before I get bored and want to do something else. I simply cannot afford this anymore. It's time to grow up. Not to mention it's expensive to go to school and change career paths.

I know that my mind is restless now. I want so much more than what I have now, but I also know that I should be happy with what I have. Sometimes, I feel like a little girl trapped in a tower with no way out, but to burn my way down. *End dramatic note*

Pinterest Project: Upcycling T-shirt into vest

Lately I've had this urge to do a DIY from Pinterest. Some of my pinterest projects go really well (mostly the food ones), and others are misses. My project today was to upcycle an old T-shirt. I have tons of t-shirts from all the 5K volunteering I've been doing this year. I found my project here. It was pretty quick, all I needed was a shirt and a pair of scissors.

I started with this pretty bright yellow shirt (that I'd never wear in public), then started cutting. It felt wrong cutting a perfectly good shirt. Usually these end up in my donation pile after a year, but since this entire month is about doing things, I figured it's just one shirt.