Happy Valentine's Day Savvy Shoppers

Have a look at several Valentine's Day images to put you in a festive mood to celebrate it. Every February 14th we love the color red, roses, jewelry, and dark chocolate! This year I'll add an easy Strawberry Sparkling Rosè Wine (or Champagne) recipe to follow: 

Ingredients:

16 ounces strawberries

2 teaspoons honey (or Stevia to taste)

2 tablespoons lemon juice

A bottle of sparkling rosè wine

Directions

1) Toss the strawberries and honey into a food processor and puree until smooth (a blender will work if you can figure out how to get it out. Perhaps pour 1/2 cup of wine into the blender:). Transfer to a pitcher.

2) Add the lemon juice and sparkling rosè wine and whisk.

What a refreshing Valentine's Day sparkling wine + strawberries sangria.

💋❤️💋❤️💘 To all my Valentines, my darling readers!💘💋❤️💋❤️

💖💟💝Enjoy! Use the day to take the frost out of winter.😉🌹🌻🌷

Photo: Creative Culinary

What do you love about this day?

Happy Valentine's Day my lovelies! xoxo

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Temu Is A Popular Free Shopping App

Travel Jewelry Box - $3.03

Temu is the most downloaded free app in America, according to TIME, beating out TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram. As a shopping app, the prices seem almost too good to be true, and although definitely not a scam website, customers have complained about long waits to receive their goods, or mistakes with items sent out or left out of their orders, as well as, disappointing cancellations and a lack of telephone customer service.

← $6.29 Temu, is a subsidiary of Pinduoduo Inc., just like Pinduoduo, its giant Chinese e-commerce sibling. Recently Temu opened a US office in Boston, Massachusetts. While the retailer has many unsatisfied customers, it also has its share of happy customers plus people who have taken advantage of its opportunities to get free stuff by using credits for getting their friends, family, and followers to sign up for Temu's free app. TIME interviewed consumers who had both good and bad experiences with Temu.

$4.49

TIME's article quotes Douglas Schmidt, a professor of computer science at Vanderbilt University who says “'It seems like they’re being subsidized to be a loss leader in order to gain market share, which is not unlike what Amazon did for a long time,'"

Temu sells too many categories of products to list. The e-company reminds me of a closeout trader, World Market, and dollar store all rolled into one. Not only are the below-market prices tempting but so are the free shipping and free returns!

← $8.88 Temu has relationships with a number of different merchants and its variety of goods are sent out from a myriad of warehouses in China directly to customers. I think this more than any aim to scam people explains why deliveries can go awry. It's a relatively new business and they are still working kinks out of their operations. Moreover, because articles originate from various factories, similar items on the website, for example, a 10 cm x 10 cm travel jewelry case, can vary in price by $2 -$3 dollars.

Amethyst beads $2.79

The takeaway is to (1) Never risk cash you can't afford to lose; (2) Buy do-or-die essentials from a 100% dependable source; and (3) Don't expect merchandise to arrive soon. Chances are very good you won't lose your money, but hey you may get something you didn't order or a cancelation.:)

So now let's figure out what kind of risk-taker to get something cheap you are, shall we? Due to Temu's alluring bargains, I'd likely risk ordering a few desired things -- despite its wobbly legs practices:) -- spending only $5 - $10 using Paypal to see how it goes. How about you? 

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Moisturizing Creams: CeraVe Versus Cetaphil

Every year we battle Old Man Winter, and during the season I slatter on moisturizers from head to toe every single day. My two favorite moisturizers are dermatologists-approved drugstore brands: Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream (body for very dry, sensitive skin) and CeraVe Moisturizing Cream (with 3 essential ceramides). Both are fragrance-free. Each absorbs completely into the skin and is non-greasy. 

I'll cut to the chase: Both are super moisturizing, and you can't go wrong with either brand. But, there are a few differences ...

CeraVe

- Has 3 essential ceramides (lipids - Ceramide NP, Ceramide

Wamart's brand

AP, and Ceramide EOP) to restore and protect the skin barrier.  

- Contains hyaluronic acid to help the skin retain its moisture.

- It's non-comedogenic so it won't clog pores.

- I have no problems applying it on my face periodically.

- The cream is thinner and wetter than Cetaphil.

- Leaves a slight residue on the skin after application although you have to touch your face to feel it, and it isn't greasy or uncomfortable.

- It usually comes in 16 ounces.

Cetaphil 

- Contains glycerin, niacinamide (vitamin B3), panthenol (vitamin B5), sunflower seed oil, and almond oil.

Walmart's brand

- It's non-comedogenic and non-irritating.

- As with CeraVe, you can apply it on the face without clogging pores.

- The formula is richer than CeraVe making it terrific to use as a body cream after a shower to lock in water to stay hydrated.

- It moisturizes elbows, knees, and all other areas of very dry skin.

- Cetaphil is a more beneficial hand and cuticle cream than CeraVe.

- Plus it moisturizes lips. CeraVe is a tad too thin to treat dry lips with lasting power although to be fair neither cream claims to treat dry lips.

- Cetaphil disappears 100% into the skin while leaving it moist and smooth. Although richer than CevaVe, it doesn't leave a film of any kind. 

- Comes in 20 ounces.

Conclusions:

To treat battered or dry flaky skin, I like CeraVe as it's wetter and contains ceramides to bring the skin barrier back into balance, but for skin that is not flaky and already hydrated, such as, after a shower or after washing my hands, I prefer the richness of Cetaphil to lock in the moisture. Cetaphil keeps your skin barrier healthy so it won't get dry and flaky, then you won't need to repair it.

Amazon's brand equivalent here.

I also like Cetaphil's bigger 20-ounce size making it the better value, and it moisturizes with staying power over more areas -- body, face, hands, lips, and heels. CeraVe's thinner formula + ceramides with hydromantic acid makes it a better face cream, especially for an oily complexion. If you already apply face serums you can use either brand to seal the serum in if you wish.

Buying a jar of each brand isn't wasteful or too extravagant. You'll end up using both at various times. There is no more effective moisturizing cream than these two drugstore brands on the market, and neither brand will break the bank! But if you wish to only buy one cream, Cetaphil's richness works on more body parts during the dry winter months. For spring, summer, and fall CereVe's richness is sufficient -- and both are great.

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Wamart Has a Fine Selection Of Activewear

Walmart is partnered with some winning brands for basics and activewear clothing. Desperation led me to them! Considering the ongoing joke of how inappropriately some shoppers show up to shop at Walmart, you'd be surprised by the retailer's array of smart pieces at ultra-reasonable prices!

My elderly mom needs a few comfortable t-shirts and trousers to do double duty for wearing around the house, as well as, leaving home. Her fashion sense isn't up-to-par with the latest easy-to-care-for fabrics, so I'm stepping in!

Know that I have a bias against loungewear, sweats, and leggings-that-are-t00-casual. Since you can find these same functional pieces in polished styles that are also in easy-care fabrics, why not look polished around the clock? Dress once in the morning and let your dapper attire take you throughout your day, no? If you select the right style and color of leggings or casual-smart knit paints, you can dress them up or down with shoes, a lovely cardigan, a blazer, and jewelry. As much as my mom's senior years allow, I try to dress her as stylishly as I'd dress a 30-year-old woman. She doesn't want to look shabby just because she's older and her limbs are less flexible. No sweatsuits for her on my watch! She didn't wear them as a young woman.

That said, I'm pleased by the quality and price of Athletic Works socks, therefore I ordered the brand's 100% cotton knitted pants for my mamma in navy blue (in fact, they're close to black) to match her tops. If you select navy or black they look like fashionable dark trousers and not athletic pants. As you can see by the image 👆above, lighter colors look sportier exposing the trousers as activewear.

The next brand, JustBlanks, I stumbled upon as my usual suspects for t-shirts, Uniqlo and Old Navy, aren't making t-shirts in enough bright colors. What's going on here, a shortage of fabric dye? For a few years now my 2 favored retailers for cotton t-shirts have eliminated vivid blues and instead offer navy, very dark teal, beige, white, gray, and black. Since my mother and I prefer black or navy bottoms, we rely on a rich rainbow of colors in tops to liven us up so we don't look like we're going to funerals every day of the week. A beige, gray, or black t-shirt doesn't cut it paired with black pants! If not too Grim Reaper-ish, then just plain ole dull!

We love vibrant pink, blue, red, and purple. I'm puzzled by the disappearance of bright-colored t-shirts from the shelves of so many retailers for a few years already. Whoever thought Uniqlo and Old Navy would stop offering basic cotton t-shirts in at least 4 lively colors. I assumed t-shirts were their bread-and-butter items. And years of no vivid blue, a favorite color of many customers (including me) is odd, indeed. My mom likes pink which Uniqlo has, but hey, we need to mix it up and can't just wear one color over and over!

Of course, I love the excellent quality of t-shirts from Landsend and L.L.Bean too but don't want to pay $22+ for every t-shirt I buy. I like to supplement higher-caliber t-shirts with good enough cheaper t-shirts that can be mindlessly worn, machine washed, and dried. My family tends to hang dry, i.e., baby, our pricier cotton. Frankly once on your back, nobody knows the difference. The difference in cost means you can purchase brand-new t-shirts more often. At Walmart's bargain prices, the re-buys truly are a wash!😊

I found glowing colors at Walmart. The selection is also decent in quality, style, and price. Not boxy or too thin or low-quality at all! Moreover, Walmart is partnered with many different brands, and by visiting a store and/or reading item descriptions and customer reviews, you'll find your preferences whether they are for 100 cotton fabric, thick or thin material, fitted or relaxed, crewneck or v-neck, solid hues or patterns.

Hanes is one of Walmart's vendors

Ok, great! But, what's going on? Why have so many other retailers dropped bright colors in t-shirts? How you noticed the switch to muted or dark hues also? 

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Aquamarine Is Emerald's Cleaner First Cousin

Queen Elizabeth received her acquamarine taria, earrings, and necklace from the people of Brazil in 1953 and 1957. Later she added more aquamarine pieces to her collection.

On Monday we discussed colored gemstones. Today let's focus on Aquamarine (Be3Al2Si6O18) as it has no or few visible inclusions. As a type 1 gemstone, it is both eye clean and loupe clean, as well as, a relatively hard gemstone, rating a 7.5 - 8 on Moh's Hardness Scale making it strong enough for everyday wear.

Photo: Gemstones (on YouTube) as it was found in nature.

What a difference a cut and polish make. This is the famous Roosevelt  Aquamarine, which President Franklin D. Roosevelt gave to Eleanor Roosevelt.

The teal gemstone is a beryl just like its green (or red) first cousin, an emerald. A few of the key differences between the 2 gemstones are worth noting. They include emerald has many inclusions (internal flaws) and is rare in nature making it expensive while aquamarine is free of inclusions and abundant in nature making it less expensive.  

The Don Padro Aquamarine

March's birthstone, as well as, the state stone of Colorado was named after the waters of the bluish-green sea. The sea beryl gets its depth of color from the amount of iron in the crystal. Darker-hued blues and greenish blues are the most valuable aquamarine gems. Maxine, a rare deep blue aquamarine, has its own special name. Aquamarine is found mainly in granite pegmatites [crystalline granite] but can also form in the veins of metamorphic rocks.

The Hirsh Aquamarine

The soothing teal beryl is mined mainly in Brazil, but it is also found in Nigeria, Madagascar, Zambia, Pakistan, Mozambique, the United States, Australia, Minas Gerais and so many other parts of the world.

What ordinary people might buy, give me! :) 

Perhaps it's fair to say the semi-precious gemstone is underappreciated by the masses, although not by royalty. [BTW: precious and semi-precious are arbitrary classifications of gemstones that jewelers agree should be retired.] 

Queen Elizabeth's Brazillian aquamarine brooch is another piece in the set gifted to her in 1953.

Queen Elizabeth II has a gorgeous set of aquamarine jewelry she wore on many occasions. 

The Kock Aquamarine Kokoshnik replica of the personal jewelry of Empress Alexandra, wife of the last Czar of Russia, Nicolas II. 

Likewise, Czarina Alexandra Romanov of Russia (1872 - 1918) loved the stones so much that Nicolas II often gave them to her. The above tiara is believed to have been made in Germany in 1910 for her by jewelers Robert and Louis Kock, yet there are no photographs that survived the revolution of the Empress wearing it. Its aquamarines and diamonds are set in platinum and gold. The set resides in Japan's Albion Art of Institute.

Photo: Geologyin

Teal is a dreamy, tranquil, versatile color and a popular shade. For jewelry lovers who desire big, clear, flawless, affordable gemstones, you really can't go wrong with aquamarine. You'll get more beryl for the money!

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About The Clarity Of Colored Gemstones

The standard for determining the value of colored gemstones is not the same as for diamonds. A diamond is a single chemical element: carbon, and setting its value is strict and straightforward, namely defined by the 4 "c"s of cut, carat, clarity, and color.

However unlike diamonds, colored gemstones are not a single chemical element, but a combination of elements, as well as, falling into different families of stones. The most important characteristic in determining a colored gemstone's value is not clarity but color.

While clarity is a consideration in evaluating the value of colored gemstones, it is a less important factor than it is for diamonds. In other words, inclusions (or internal flaws) are expected and more accepted in colored gemstones, as opposed to, diamonds.

What's more certain families (a/k/a categories or types) of colored gemstones have more inclusions than others.

The GIA (Gemological Institute of America) doesn't rate colored gemstones like they do diamonds, nevertheless, they have created a system for classifying colored gemstones into 3 types based on clarity, i.e., their inclination or natural tendency to have internal flaws. Let's discuss them!

Type 1 are gemstones forming under the mildest geologic events and are found free of inclusions. They are eye clean and any inclusions they may have are so minor they are also loupe clean. It would take a powerful scope to detect any inclusions that exist. Type 1 gemstones include tanzanite, aquamarine, morganite, chrysoberyl, heliodor, blue zircon, blue topaz, and smoky quartz.

Type 2 gemstones form under more difficult geologic events and have more inclusions than type 1, but are still eye clean. Corundum (sapphire, ruby), quartz (amethyst, citrine), alexandrite, spinel, peridot, all zircon except blue, and garnet are examples of Type 2 gemstones. Inclusions may be seen with a loupe and are accepted as long as they don't take away from the beauty of the stones.

Type 3 gemstones have formed under the most violent of geologic events, thus they are more prone to cracks, bubbles, and impurities that are visible to the naked eye. Green and red emeralds (also called red beryl or bixbite), and paraiba tourmaline are examples of type 3 gemstones. Despite having more inclusions than sapphires, rubies, or diamonds, emeralds are among the most valuable gemstones on earth. Eye clean emeralds make up only 1% of the planet's supply and are extremely rare. An emerald's inclusions (called Jardins) are caused by trapped gas, liquid, and other minerals during the stone's formation. So common, Jardins are accepted as part of an emerald's identity and uniqueness.

Jewelers sometimes use the following terms to describe the clarity of colored gemstones, mostly when a specimen is heirloom quality and expensive:

Clarity Scale

IF – Internally Flawless
VVS – Very Very Slight Inclusions
VS – Very Slight Inclusions
SI – Slight Inclusions
I – Inclusions
TS – Translucent
O – Opaque 

As color is everything in colored gemstones, experts consider 1) hue - the actual color, 2) tone - lightness to darkness from 1 - 10, and 3) saturation - from brightness to dullness.

Aren't nature's beauties awesome!

(<--Right image from Jewelry Television)

Perfect is rare. Knowing color is the most important characteristic of colored gemstones helps you not miss out on some beautiful stones, and knowing which gemstones have more or fewer inclusions helps you either gravitate to the cleaner type 1 gemstones (above↑) ... or better yet, appreciate jewels in all their glory!

 

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Ground Beef Stroganoff

Photo: Betty Crocker, the recipe is not Betty Croker.

I love one-skillet dinners. What's not to love? A mishmash of flavors and textures, and all your food groups tossed into one pan to cook a balanced meal. You can add a salad, grainy bread, and a glass of wine if you wish. After eating your meal, the breezy cleanup consists of a single pan and a few plates and utensils. Here is the recipe:

Ground Beef Stroganoff

Ingredients:

2 tablespoon olive oil

8 ounces mushrooms, sliced

1 large onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 stalk celery including leaves, diced

1/4 cup red pepper, diced

1 - 1 1/2 lb ground beef

1/4 cup wine - red or white

4 cups water

2 large any flavor bouillon cubes, or 4 small cubes

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

salt and pepper to taste

1 teaspoon each of dried chives, garlic, and parsley

A dash of Worcestershire sauce

8 ounces of curly noodles

1 cup of sour cream (which I never have so use plain Greek yogurt.)

Directions:

1) Add a tablespoon of olive oil to a 12'' chef skillet or a dutch oven and bring to a simmer to tenderize and brown the sliced mushrooms. Sprinkle in some salt. Set aside in a separate dish.

2) Use the same skillet to add another tablespoon of olive oil and tenderize the diced onion, garlic, celery, and red pepper (takes 3 - 5 minutes).

3) Toss in and brown the ground beef. A dash of salt and

pepper. It cooks for about 5 minutes.

4) Sprinkle in the all-purpose flour to coat the ground beef and cook for another 3 minutes so the flour won't taste raw.

5) Pour in the wine and 4 cups of water and dissolve the bouillon cubes. Use a wooden spoon to stir and mash up the bouillon into the liquid.

6) Add the dried spices and Worcestershire sauce.

7) Next toss the dried uncooked curly (egg or any) noodles into the dish and cook until al dente.

8) Return the mushrooms to the pan and stir. Turn off the heat.

9) Finish off with sour cream (or substitute Greek yogurt). If using Greek yogurt be mindful of curdling. Temper the yogurt with a small amount of stroganoff sauce before dumping it all into the dish.

A simple one-pan meal that sticks to your ribs. Delish!

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