The Ordinary was the first company to change the game of anti-aging skincare by making it affordable for most everyone. Once upon a time it cost a mint to buy products containing anti-aging ingredients that were based on science!
Nowadayswhen buying effective skincare, you are the one who cho0ses to go broke, or not. Education is a must to know which ingredients based upon science to look for in targeting your skin issues.
The Ordinary keeps evolving because skincare keeps evolving as science evolves. I try to keep up with the science of skincare and enjoy trying new products.
Here’s a new one from The Ordinary I’m curious to try. It's called GF 15% Solution, an age support serum to help minimize and repair the visible signs of aging, including skin damage. The key ingredients are IGF, EGF, and TGE, which are growth hormones and peptites to regenerate the skin, firming it up and restoring elasticity. GF 15% Solution softens fine lines and wrinkles on the forehead, around the eyes and mouth, and smooths rough skin along with brighting dull skin. Sounds desirable to me!
You apply a few drops after washing your face in the morning and at bedtime. GF 15% Solution doesn’t play nice when used with direct acids, direct vitamin C, or salicylic acid. On the other hand, it pairs well with hyaluronic acid, retinol, and heavier moisturizers. If you use retinol (at night) or bakuchiol (day or night), apply the GF 15% Solution 1st, then retinol or bakuchiol and followed by sunscreen or moisturizers.
I’m writing about GF 15% Solution without testing it first because the Ordinary has proven to be extraordinary skincare. Trying this new product will let me know if its right for my complexion.
At such an affordable price ($15.50, alas like everything else The Ordinary has increased its prices), I’m gung-ho to see if it makes my skin more radiate. I want glowing skin! How about you?
Kind Science By Ellen DeGeneres is a skincare line we often see advertised on television. Two questions come to mind: (1) Are the products effective, and (2) Are they good value for the money? Here are my thoughts ...
It depends on how much you know about anti-aging skincare. If you know nothing or very little about skincare ingredients the $49 introductory kit is worth buying. The products are effective, based on science, and are paired to be used together so you won't cancel out the benefits of one elixir with another. The price isn't outlandish for the kit of 4 products. Yes, I know 6 products are offered, but I wouldn't buy a kit to get a free brush or skin oil. It's nice for the company to include them, however, consumers should focus on the 4 essential potions to determine the value of the kit. Those are the ones you'll need to keep buying as they do the anti-aging heavy lifting.
Also keep in mind that when buying the kit, you won't get full sized products, but are paying less then you will to rebuy them in bigger sizes.
So what are we getting for our $49? Reduced sizes of:
1) Gentle Cleanser - 1.5 fl oz/44 ml - Enriched with skin-brightening vitamin C from Kakadu plum, soothing chamomile and green tea (green tea is one source of antioxidants).
2) Micro Exfoliant+ - 0.75 fl oz/22 ml - A face mask that contains volcanic sand and bamboo silk to polish and soften the skin. Its alpha-hydroxy acids brighten the skin and remove dead skin cells.
3) Firming Serum - 0.34 fl oz/10 ml - The main ingredients are bakuchiol (a retinol alternative) and peptides (short chains of amino acids) to smooth the skin.
4) Hydration Cream - 0.5 fl oz014 ml - Has snow mushroom to hydrate, omega-rich sea buckthorn (a source of antioxidants; doesn't grow in the sea) and our retinol alternative bakuchiol.
5) Free Gift: FacialCleansing Brush
6) Free Gift: Radiance Oil 05 fl oz/14 ml - It's mainly sunflower, apricot and jojoba oils with bakuchiol as one of its very last ingredients.
So now I'll find you alternative full sized skincare for less which may source cheaper ingredients that still give you the same anti-aging benefits as the more expensive components. Budget friendly skincare that is based on science can be just as effective as their costly cousins with fancy rarer ingredients that do essentially the same things.
4) Neutrogena Hydro Boost; Olay Age Defying Renewal Cream is only one formula choice of many in the Olay line of moisturizers. e.l.f. Holy Hydration Face Cream; Vanicream Daily Facial Moisturizer; Cetaphil Deep Hydration Healthy Glow Cream. There are so many excellent hydrating/anti-aging creams at the drugstore they are too numerous to list. You can't go wrong with CereVe, L'Oreal, No7, Curology, Get-Dreamy, or ROC either! Choice galore at wayyyy under $20 a jar! The first ingredient of most if not all hydrating creams is hyaluronic acid (HA). It’s a naturally occurring substance in the body, found in the skin, eyes and joints. It’s main job is to bind with water, holding up to 1,000 times its weight in water. As we age, HA production lessens leading to dryer less elastic skin and joint issues. A good moisturizing cream will have HA as one of its 1st ingredients. Moisturize your face to look 5 years younger! Instantly, boom!
For a Cleansing Brush
5)Washcloths are never abrasive and easier to sanitize than cleansing brushes because they can be machine washed and dried after each use! Scrubbing the skin with a brush is totally unnecessary, often even damaging to the skin.
Conclusion: Kind Science is effective skincare backed by science. It's pricey if used daily, but if you need more budget-friendly skincare you'll find equally effective skincare sold in drugstores. These brands employ scientists and dermatologists to formulate their skincare and can go toe to toe with designer and celebrity higher priced skincare.
Lastly, Korean Beauty is also great quality and value for the money. Nowadays drugstores, Walmart and Target carry it. (Next week, I’ll highlight an anti-aging Korean Beauty serum to put on your radar ... for its stellar ingredients, quantity and price! Watch for it to be published!)
Great skincare need not break the bank, but can be found at every price point! I’ll leave you some links below to learn more about what ingredients to look for in effective skincare.
Oh wow, I could've gotten scammed by a fake Wayfair website! I tried to help someone find a stove by googling "buy a cheap stove" since the Memorial Day sales are today. On Google Wayfair came up first with a Whirlpool standard stove listed at an incredible price of $135 plus a deal further reducing the stove to $115! In Manhattan I bought a new stove in 2019, so I knew this price seemed too good to be true. According to the listing on the very professional-looking Wayfair website, there were only 11 stoves left and time was ticking, the doorbuster price ended in 3 minutes!!
I called Wayfair -- the retailer -- as I always do to make major purchases, and together the customer associate and I discovered I was on a website that was impersonating Wayfair. The scammer was branding Wayfair's logo and stealing its design. They listed fake too good to be true discounts with detailed descriptions and multiple photos of products that didn't really exist.
These fake websites are after what is called "data harvesting" -- attempting to steal our personal and financial information.
Thankfully I didn't try to buy online, but called Wayfair to ask why the stove was so cheap. The price seemed too good to be true because it was!
Only then did I notice the stove had no item number, and the URL of the scammer website was different (not the official www.wayfair.com).
This is where it ended for me, but other ways to spot fake retailer websites include: no clear contact information such as a telephone number or business address; the lack of a valid SSL certificate, indicated by "https" and a padlock icon in the address bar. Sometimes the fake websites have misspellings or poor grammar, or unusual payment methods like gift cards, cryptocurrency or payment apps.
Yikes, we can't be too cautious when shopping online! It's not a bad idea to do your research online, but then call the retailer to ask questions and to place your order. Make sure the number you are calling is legitimate by double checking it online. Although I wasn't taken, I was initially fooled by a fake website. I wasted my time reading fake product descriptions! Spammers are getting super sophisticated, and a customer cannot be too vigilant!
Calling all history buffs! My American Dad was of Norman English ancestry, plus we Americans tend to be Anglophiles, which is reason enough to post some quick and dirty fun facts (as opposed to scholarly facts) about England that perhaps you didn't know. Be careful when reading them, you'll catch the travel bug! ✈
1. England is part of the United Kingdom, which was formed on May 1, 1707. When Mary Queen of Scot's son, James VI of Scotland ascended the English throne as James I of Great Britain.
2. The Royal Family still leads the nation, with King Charles III currently reigning.
3. England is home to the world's oldest artifacts.
4. The English are proud of their iconic cuisine, like full English breakfasts, fish and chips, and traditional Sunday roasts. I love these dishes too!
5. England’s landscapes are beautifully diverse, with locations like the White Cliffs of Dover and the Lake District National Park.
6. The country’s Industrial Revolution changed the world and spread to mainland Europe.
7. Many popular sports were invented in England, like football, tennis, cricket, rugby, badminton, golf, baseball and hockey.
8. The nation has been home to many famous and influential people and holds some of the best-known historical structures.
9. England is in the top 20 of the largest countries in Europe.
10. England is home to over 1,500 castles, ranging from ruins to fully livable castles.
11. Anglo Saxons were the first English settlers.
12. The English flag is called the Saint Georges Cross.
13. The World Wide Web was created in England.
14. Stonehenge is older than Machu Picchu and the Great Pyramids of Giza.
15. The largest library in the world is in England.
16. There is a garden of only poisonous plants in the north of England.
17. England is close neighbors with France, with only 21 miles of ocean between them. After the Norman Conquest in 1066, French was England's official language for a time. In 1362 English became England's official language. In 1399 Henry IV was the 1st English monarch to deliver a coronation speech in English.
18. Scafell Pike is the highest point in England, at 3208 feet (or 978miles).
Lately I've become quite the lazy cook. After years of preparing dinner, I just don't want to wash a sink full of pots and pans on a daily basis. Most of the people I know prewash greasy pans by hand before loading them into a dishwasher. I do the same when I have access to a dishwasher. In Manhattan I don't wish to lose a cupboard to install a dishwasher. Also I have a big sink so if I start a prewash, I might as well finish the job with an extra wash and multiple raises.
Lately Legumes have become my easy-peasy dinner staples. Into the CrockPot they go. I've started to toss in brown rice and mixed vegetables for a complete dinner. A stock pot on a stovetop works equally as well. You just can't forget about the latter!
Although rice combined with legumes (beans, split peas or lentils) form a complete protein, meat eaters can top the chunky-stew-like-soups with diced smoked ham or smoked turkey. A side of whole grain crackers or crusty bread can complete the meal. Texture is as important as spices in dishes to make food more satisfying. A few sides or condiments of choice are the way to go!
According to Healthline, here are 9 Healthy Legumes to Eat - Be sure to click on the link to read the full nutritional value of each legume. You'll learn that legumes are good sources, not only of protein, but fiber and minerals too. What's more, I'll link you to recipes in how I often eat each legume.
1) Chickpeas, aka garbanzo beans - 269 calories per cup with 14.5 grams of protein. I don't make this one homemade but buy it: hummus. When I can't make a dish better or cheaper than readymade, I buy it.
2) Lentils - 230 calories per cup and 17.9 grams of protein.
Lentil soup recipe here. An alternate recipe is: 16 oz dried lentils, 12 cups water, 4 large chicken bouillon cubes, 1 cup brown rice, 12 oz mixed vegetables, chopped celery, and chopped onion. Spice to taste - garlic, smoked paprika, bay leaf, soy sauce, etc.
3) Peas- 134 calories per cup with 8.58 grams of protein. Split pea soup. You can also make split peas using the hearty lentil soup recipe in #2. It's as delicious yet creamier.
4) Kidney beans - 225 calories per cup with 15.3 grams of protein. I like to use kidney beans in chili.
5) Black beans - 227 calories per cup with 15.2 grams of protein. Here is a no name salad I make. Feel free to name it.:)
6) Soybeans - 298 calories per cup with 31.3 grams of protein. For soybeans, I buy tofu to add to miso soup or another meatless dish. Tofu has no flavor of it's own which makes it versatile.
7) Pinto beans - 245 calories per cup with 15.4 grams of protein. I like pinto beans, but frankly use beans interchangeably: kidney, pink, pinto, roman, or navy. My Mother's bean soup was always navy bean soup, but I'm not faithful to one bean.:) Whatever's in my cupboard goes into the pot. Bean soup. Pasta e Fagioli.
8) Navy beans - 255 calories per cup with 15 grams of protein.
9) Peanuts- 414 calories per cup with 18.9 grams of protein. Sometimes we do eat peanuts as a snack, but more often in the form of peanut butter. Here's how I make peanut sesame noodles, a popular quick dinner in my home.
Additionally, I toss lima beans into beef stew, and I like butter beans. My mom didn't make butter beans for dinner. Country people did. Good with potatoes or cornbread! Cornbread and butter beans are a complete protein.
Take it from me -- a lazy cook need not turn into an unhealthy cook. Legumes are packed with nutrients and are relatively inexpensive. Add some to your diet with the guaranteed approval of both your doctor and your wallet.
If you, too, are sometimes a lazy cook, save the meat as a topper for your soup: The payoffs: 1) You won't have to wash a greasy pot; 2) you can serve vegetarians and carnivores from the same batch; 3) leftover meatless dishes have a longer refrigerator life. Of course you can also freeze your leftovers. 4) I like to buy smoked deli ham or turkey to top soups and you save the flavors which don't disperse into your batch of soup.
In the USA our recent tariffs -- extra taxes on all consumer goods -- are driving up the cost of food and everything else not made in the USA. Retailers must now pay an extra tax (or tariff) when goods enter the country then they pass the tax onto customers in the form of higher prices. What? You think merchants are going to absorb extra taxes? Often small businesses can't afford to and will close if customers won't pay more either. Small businesses don't have the capital (or time it takes) to build factories to make the cheaper goods we get from China or Southeast Asia. Moreover the USA doesn't have the climate to grow certain food like bananas or coffee, or cocoa beans (chocolate) -- the reason we import them. Trade is what makes the USA prosperous, and consumers are great at setting prices. It's the cost we are willing to pay at the supermarket or elsewhere.
So my dear peeps, hang in there, and bon appetite on the cheap!😉😋😂
My senior Mom and I ate this dessert from Simple Food for breakfast. As I anticipated, it was too chewy to satisfy a cake or brownie craving. I'll post Simple Food's video below so you can see how easy it is to make and why I was so tempted to try it.
Note: I don't let FB track my or your activities. Click here to watch if you don't wish to give FB such permission.
Ingredients:
For the Cake --
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 cup warm milk
2 eggs
a pinch of salt
2 smashed bananas
4 tablespoons of cocoa
1 teaspoon baking powder
I added 1 scoop of Premier protein chocolate powder to the recipe.
For the Topping --
Dark Chocolate and walnuts
We're not in my kitchen today so we didn't have a loaf pan. I used an 9" x 9" square baking pan and surprisingly got more pastry than expected. I used butter flavored cooking spray, and it lifted out cleanly.
After baking, I let dark chocolate chips melt on top of the pastry while we waited for it to cool enough to eat.
Here's my review: If you crave a piece of cake or a brownie, skip this recipe. If you're trying to eat a bowl of oatmeal and want to dress it up, then wait about 40 minutes for it to bake, go for it!
Although we had no problem eating it (we were hungry waiting!), and it was nutrious, I doubt I'll make it again. Either I'll eat a bowl of oatmeal or have a piece of cake. Sometimes you can't have it both ways.
The main reason I'm featuring the gloss is because it's not sticky. The strains of your hair won't stick to your lips every time you turn your head, which is so annoying. We've all been there. The Burt's Bee's lip gloss I bought a few year's ago was so sticky I never bought it again.
E.l.f.'s color (a choice of 5) is buildable with a high shine finish. Zinc oxide, vitamin E, and hyaluronic acid are the key ingredients. It has a coconut scent, which is fine. People like makeup with a pleasant smell, right? All of e.l.f.'s cosmetics are Fair Trade Certified. They are free from the usual harmful suspects and are vegan and cruelty free.
At $7, it lasts a good long while and is sold at drugstores, Target and Walmart, so you have a great chance of catching a 2 for 1 promotion, or another type of sale. If I like a product, I will buy one, plus a spare to have one on deck.
Newly elected Leo XIV on St. Peter's Basilica balcony (May 8, 2025) and as a university student
I'm a little late in getting this post up. Although I rushed to the tv when the sight of white smoke was announced, I'm still a little stunned that a fellow North American was elected Pope. Nobody not even hardcore Vatican Watches expected it. Just imagining being in St. Peter's Square when Pope Leo XIV stepped out onto the balcony to speak to the crowd gives me chills. Our new Pope is such a pleasing mixture of humility and confidence, I was very moved watching the 2,000 year old tradition unfold on television.
Brothers Robert, John, and Louis Prevost 1958
What an honor it is to have a U.S. born Pope elected by the most diverse College of Cardinals in history to provide much needed moral leadership and compassion to the world. Imagine the weight carried on the shoulders of one human in taking on such an exalted role.
To friends on Facebook I said, the former Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost (age 69), now Pope Leo XIV ''is having a promising first day, and seems like the right man for the job. Worldly, intelligent; knows the Vatican, South America and the USA. Close with Pope Francis, and I like that he is from Chicago," in other words, a fantastic combination to be a world spiritual leader of so many adherents and non-adherents alike!
I've read that our new Pope has French and Italian ancestry (so the Italians weren't completely left out) on his father's side and Spanish (Louisiana Creole and Haitian) on his mother's side. Her maiden name was Martinez, so I presume there were some amazingly delicious meals in the Prevost home. What did Mrs. Prevost ("Ms." wasn't used in the 1950s or 60s) cook for her 3 precious little boys? Ahhh!
The new Holy Father was a math major, graduating from Villanova University in 1977 and reportedly was accepted into Harvard Law School, but instead decided to administer to the poor by becoming an Augustinian missionary for many years starting in 1985 in Peru. The Peruvians consider him their Pope, calling him Papa Leon. Translates into Lion.He also earned a Master of Divinity from Catholic Theological Union in Chicago in 1982 and received a doctorate in canon law at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome, where he also lived for 12 years.
It's admirable that Pope Leo XIV knew what he wanted to do from an early age, namely to be of service to people, to lift them up and improve their lives. He prepared himself to serve God through education and by doing!
Leo I (the Great) served from 440 - 461 AD during a crucial period of theological debates when the Church was defining its doctrines. At the time a heresy claimed that Christ had only a Devine nature. Leo I played a key role in defining the dual nature of Christ as fully Devine and fully human.
Robert, Louis and John Prevost with their mother Mildred
Leo XIII, whose name, the newest Pope is honoring, wrote an encyclical Rerum Novarum in 1891 which addresses the rights of workers and the responsibilities of employers to offer workers fair wages, safety and dignity. Certainly the College of Cardinals knew that in our present day, another pastoral Pope is exactly what is needed, but also a globally exposed one who knows doctrine.🎯
People who expect Leo XIV to be overly liberal will surely be disappointed. The Catholic Church is slow to change but change it does do, methodically and orderly in response to changing times. So with this Pope, conservatives should also be alarmed. I am progressive, and from all accounts, Christ was progressive too, but I understand how the Church must be measured. Wise diplomacy is usually cautious. When you guide over 1 billion Catholics and have global influence, speed or sudden changes may not be your friends. Without a doubt, what His Holiness says reaches far and wide. I do think changes on controversial issues will inch their way to the surface out of necessity.
I'm happy our new Pontiff has 2 living older brothers because I think being a Pope is a lonely job without family, close friends, and perhaps a dog as a loyal companion. No matter which way he turns, he'll encounter criticism once the Honeymoon is over.
Too darn cute. Photos from CBS This Morning.
I like what a longtime friend of Pope Leo XIV, Rev Robert Hagan, said on the PBS News Hour about the new Pope's character: "He's not someone who 'looks for a fight,' but also 'won't walk away' from one. This ... suggests a man who is not combative, but also firm and resolute when faced with injustice or challenges." I see a new Pope who will take difficult issues on but I also don't envy him!
I'll bring the blog back home to the USA with what commentators Brooks and Capehart had to say about Pope Leo XIV's potential impact on US culture and politics.
As the famous saying goes, if you enter the Conclave as a Pope you'll leave as a cardinal. So how did Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost become the first US Pope in history? IMHO like everything else hard, high profile or elusive in life, preparation meets opportunity. The stars just have to align in the right way at the right time. We follow our intellect and passions and go where they lead us. The boy wanted to be a priest. There is no way he could have known where exactly it would lead. But he was doing what he knew he should be doing. He was willing to study, work, leave the country and serve. He put in the time. He was recognized by his bosses and peers. He was open ... and when those stars aligned and he was ready, he became the Pope. How inspiring.
