Operation Rewind

Posted on May 16th, 2010 by Jean

If you hadn’t seen someone for twenty years, wouldn’t you want to look your best for the reunion? That is exactly the predicament I recently faced. Facebook reunites me with friends from my past, and lucky for me, one was was planning a trip to Vegas. We conversed for months making plans to meet for lunch while she was in town.
 
Although I dragged my feet for a while, by April Operation Rewind was underway. I needed to recapture my youthful glow!
 
Step 1: Exfoliate.
I’m a big fan of Bobbi Brown’s Beach Scrub. Alas, my wallet is not. I was able to find a new creation, the Bobbi Brown Sandbar. Quick Review: Bobbi, your sandbar hurt me. The sand was so rough it was akin to rubbing cut glass on my legs. A bit harsh? Yeah, so was your sandbar until the sandy layer washed away after only two uses. Now I am left with a 1″x2″ bar of beach-scented soap.
 
My first and possibly 2nd layer of skin removed, I was now ready for …
 
Step 2: Self-Tanning.
Jergens Natural Glow for Fair Skin turned me from translucent to pale without a hint of orange. I still have my Chanel face tanner from last year, and slathered that on too. Slightly bronzy facial skin achieved.
 
Step 3: Teeth Whitening
Found Crest’s Premium Whitestrips under my sink and said, “What the heck.” Noticeably whiter teeth after three uses.
 
Step 4: Pedicure
No funds for the local nail salon, so I clipped, filed and painted my own toes. Rocking OPI’s – Sweet As Annie-Thing! from their 90210 Collection.
 
Step 5: Wardrobe
Grabbed a lovely Forever 21 sundress from my closet, a gravity-defeating Victoria’s Secret strapless bra from my lingerie drawer, comfy Havaianas flip-flops, and I was good to go!
 
Unfortunately my friend was not. Her hotel overbooked and bumped her to another resort, causing her a lot of stress. Thus our lunch plans went kaput.
 
I hope her travels bring her back to Vegas soon. I’m not sure how long the effects of Operation Rewind last.
 
• How do you bring sexy back?
• Are you reconnecting on FaceBook?
• Are you cool with plans changing at the last minute?
 
Get Your Shopping Groove On!
1) Bobbi Brown Beach Sandbar
2) Jergen’s Natural Glow – Fair Tones
3) Chanel Precision Soleil Identite Perfect Colour Face Self Tanner SPF 8 – Dore ( Golden )
4) Crest Premium Whitestrips
5) OPI – Sweet As Annie-Thing!

Tags: beach, beauty, facebook, friends, makeup, opi, reunion, review, sexy, Shopping, Tips, Vegas, youth

Vegas Day Trip

Posted on May 7th, 2010 by Jean

Just returned from a day trip to Vegas. I love it there!
 
First stop, in Henderson actually, was Trader Joe’s. I brought a cooler and ice packs for the frozen items such as the Japanese ice cream the kids are so fond of. I also picked up a bottle of the new Clementine Sparkling Juice. Two thumbs way up!
 
After filling the cooler half way and securing the non-perishables, I ventured over to the Mandalay Bay hotel & casino. It is the first resort as you enter the strip from the south end, and offers quick access to their parking facilities.
 
The restaurant formerly situated next to the Burger Bar has been replaced by the new Hussong’s Cantina. It being Cinco de Mayo, I was in the mood for a margarita and Mexican fare. Ok, I’m always in the mood for a margarita and Mexican fare.
 
Hussong’s was having “The Most Interesting Man” Look-Alike contest. Had I know, I would have tried to bring my husband. He has the beard & mustache!
Well, regardless, I made my way to the entrance and requested a table for one. I was given a nice little table off to the side, a basket of chips & salsas, the menu and time to review it.
 
Hussong’s offers an Original and a Traditional margarita. I honestly didn’t know the difference, but assumed the original would be loaded with alcohol. When my waitperson approached, she offered me advice on my cocktail selection as well as my lunch choice. The Original uses all fresh ingredients while the Traditional uses a mix. I opted for the Original (both cost $10/ea.) I was torn between the lobster tacos and the avocado shrimp salad, and my server raved about the salad, calling it one of her favorite dishes. I ordered the salad, then sat back, enjoyed my chips, salsa and cocktail while listening to the laughter of fellow diners.
 
Soon my meal was approaching… an entire avocado, breaded and deep fried, filled with cooked shrimp and served on a bed of lettuce. Interesting! Tasty. Not sure I would order it again. The batter was rather thick on the avocado, but not bad overall. I gave Hussong’s 4 out of 5 stars on Yelp.
 
After lunch, I went to see my stylist, Brooklyn at ARCs, also in the Mandalay Bay. She gave me a trim and brightened my color (i.e. covered my gray). Her lovely assistant, Little Kelly did an amazing job rinsing & washing my hair and massaging my head & shoulders.
 
On the way out of dodge, I swung by the Cheesecake Factory for a few slices for my family; original with strawberries, key lime, and red velvet. I can attest the key lime is fantastic!
 
To view highlights of the day, just push play.
 

 
• What is your favorite day trip destination?
• What do you do there?
• Do you Yelp?

Tags: ARC, ARCs, cantina, Cheesecake, cinco de mayo, clementine, day trip, Factory, flip, flip ultra, hair, hairdo, Henderson, holiday, Hussongs, key lime, Las Vegas, laughlin, Mandalay, Mandalay Bay, margarita, massage, Mexican, pamper, podcast, red velvet, Searchlight, Shopping, spoil, strip, stylist, trader joe's, Vegas, Video, vlog, vlogcast, yelp

Snow Search 2010

Posted on January 13th, 2010 by Jean

Each winter for the past four years we have gone in search of SNOW. Being an Arizona family, it is rare for us to experience freezing temps. Saturday, after 2 1/2 hours on the road, we reached our destination: Mount Charleston, Nevada, just 35 miles northwest of Las Vegas.
 

 
We were so happy to arrive, and headed straight to the snow play area.
 
We sled.
Warning: Turn your audio down. I’m a screamer. I mean really! Way, way down.
 
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The girls made snow angels.
 

 
We made a snowman. (The base was already there.) Look at Frosty’s pea head. LOL!
 
As the sun started to set behind the mountain, we made our way down to the Mount Charleston Resort. It’s a lovely hotel with a restaurant, bar, gambling, spa, and dvd rentals, but no elevators.
 

 
After check-in, Tom headed down to the bar to watch football, the girls watched a Tom & Jerry dvd in our room, and I signed in to the wi-fi. Thank goodness for Hulu! I watched an SNL clip (Snookie), a Chelsea Lately clip (Holly Madison was dissing Criss Angel), and I forget what else. Just some mindless mumbo-jumbo that helped me unwind.
 
The girls wanted to wear dresses to dinner, so I helped them into their outfits. Just then, Tom returned from the bar. Perfect timing! Off we went to dinner. It was so scrumptious, but service was very slow. They must make each dish to order. On a positive note, our waitress bought Natalie and Pearl’s drawings for a dollar each. Check out these happy entrepreneurs!
 
Sunday morning we had breakfast at the Mt Charleston Lodge near the summit. The girls colored, but there were no takers for their artwork. Tom tried to double his money, but no such luck. Breakfast was delicious and served quickly.
 

 
We repeated Saturday’s *S* activities: sledding & snow angels (no snowmen). I’d like to say the rest of the day went off without a hitch, but as we made our way down the mountain, we got a flat tire. Chances are, if you run over a snowball and your tire pops, it wasn’t a snowball!
 
• Are you a screamer?
• Do you get much snow?
• Do you like to play in it?

Tags: hulu, Mount Charleston, scream, sledding, snow, snowmen, vacation, Vegas