Garnier Skin Renew Dark Spot Peel- Day 1

Ok, so I am a bzz agent. Basically, what this means is that I get to try a lot of really cool products for free and then share my thoughts and opinions about those products with the world. The latest product that I have been given the opportunity to try is the Garnier Skin Renew Dark Spot Peel. This product promises these results:
"Overnight: Skin is brighter, smoother, and more even toned with a healthy glow. In 4 weeks, Dark spots and discoloration are diminished and skin looks more uniform and feels smoother."
Tonight, I am using this product for the first time. The product is clear, so once I put it on I couldn't really tell it was there. I have sensitive skin, so I am usually reluctant to try new facial products, but this product markets itself as being "gentle to skin." Can't wait to share the results of day 1 with you tomorrow!

Comcast Blues...Again

Comcast, why must you torture me this way? Several months ago I posted a blog about my Comcast woes. Well, here we go again. I tried, unsuccessfully, for almost three weeks to port a phone number from a competitor because for some reason the customer service reps at Comcast do not communicate with one another or make notes to the account in the system. I talked to 5 different people in the port department in a two week period. Each time I was promised that my number would be ported in 4 days.  All this after realizing that Comcast had assigned me a new phone number without informing me when the number was initially supposed to be ported. After twenty days, on the last promised date for the porting of the other number, my Comcast phone number was disconnected. Upon calling Comcast, I was told that the Comcast number had to be disconnected in order for the other number to be ported. By 8 pm CST, the other number was still not ported. I again called customer service and was informed by the rep that my initial request for the other number to be ported was never sent to the correct department, even though I had spoken with 5 other people who claimed to be from "that" department. Of course, there were no notes or records of these conversations because this other department apparently doesn't have access to the same account. Finally feed up, I requested that the port be cancelled and opted to keep the Comcast number. However, that number was once again disconnected the next morning and no one could explain why. Service was restored within 30 minutes, but still there was no explanation as to why it was disconnected in the first place. Since then, my usually great Comcast internet service has been lackluster. It has been extremely slow and we now have connection issues. The internet is the only reason why I opted to return to Comcast after trying out a competitor for a few months. I am really disappointed, yet afraid to call customer service for fear that something else will be unnecessarily disconnected or they will offer to send out a technician to look into it and charge me $50. Oh well, I hope this situation gets better soon or I may be forced to return to a competitor for phone and TV services and only keep Comcast internet. Verizon, please provide home service to my area soon! 

Loreal Paris BB Cream Review

About L'Oréal Paris Magic Skin Beautifier BB Cream: This product gives the sheer coverage needed to create a natural bare skin finish, while delivering built-in skincare benefits. With four beautifying actions, this all-in-one innovation primes and smoothes, perfects to hide flaws, hydrates all-day, and corrects and evens skin. The product is infused with skincare ingredients like Panthenol, Vitamin E and Glycerin for 24-hour moisturization.

To apply, simply dot on and blend with fingertips. Self-adjusting beads will instantly transform and blend to your skin tone.

L'Oréal Paris Magic BB Cream retails for $10.95 for 1 fl oz. It is available in four shades and is sold at mass food and drug retailers nationwide. Click here to find out more.

I received this product free from She Speaks to try and review. I do not wear makeup often, so I was very excited to try this product. Since I have a darker complexion, I opted for the deep version of this product. Although it did seem to smooth and hide some of my flaws, it also made me paler than usual.The picture below doesn't really show it well, but one of my children called me a vampire, so I probably will not be using this product. Even though I chose the deep version, apparently it wasn't deep enough for my skin tone. I would definitely recommend this product for someone with a lighter complexion.

Post-Surgery Anxious to Breathe Again

Ok, so 1 week and 1 day ago I had surgery to correct some issues with my nose: septoplasty and turbinate reduction. Although the recovery period has not been too awful, it hasn't been great either. The stuffiness of my nose alone is enough to drive me mad. I am super paranoid about bumping my nose, which  is still extremely sore and sensitive. The splints will be removed on Monday morning and I have been told that this will improve my ability to breathe through both nostrils. I sure hope this is the case because a week of mouth breathing is beginning to take its toll. I have used very little of the prescribed pain meds, choosing to stick to extra strength Tylenol since my body does not tolerate much else. The greatest lesson I have learned from this is that everyone's experience is different. I heard lots of horror stories about sinus surgeries gone wrong. I was also told a story about one woman's husband who drove himself home after the surgery because it was so simple. Since my surgery, I have swept all these stories under a metaphorical rug. So far, there have been no adverse effects and I don't anticipate any. On the flip side, it was no walk in the park. There is no way I could've driven myself home in my post-anesthesia delusional state after the surgery.  Some bone was shaved from my nose and my deviated septum was corrected, so I was pretty much unable to leave the bed the first two days after surgery. The pain at times was totally unreal and the bleeding and nausea just added to my discomfort. I am so thankful that I followed the advice of loving friends and family and took an additional week off from work because I have definitely needed it. Although I am still not healed 100%, things are getting better. By this time next week, I should be back at work and breathing clear. Until then...

BzzAgent Review- Glade Expressions

I have mentioned here before that I am a BzzAgent. I love, love, love being a BzzAgent! One of the benefits of being a BzzAgent is being able to try new products for free. I recently tried the new Glad Expressions line. I tried both the pineapple and mangosteen oil diffuser and cotton and Italian mandarin fragrance mist. Both scents were great, but pineapple and mangosteen is my absolute favorite! If you are as obsessed about having a house that smells as fresh and clean as it looks, then this new collection is for you. The new containers are sophisticated and fun!

<img src="https://img.bzzagent.com/image/gladeExpressions.jpg?Type=activity&Activity=9365102339&Campaign=5855213675&Uid=147594&token=be7a0235c53f4f7ef13e3a231f08e3d8" alt=""/>

Proud Momma- My baby girl and Sugarland

I am so proud of my extremely talented 16 year-old daughter Aliyah. Aliyah had the honor of performing onstage with the country duo, Sugarland, Friday night at the Fed Ex Forum. Aliyah is an aspiring singer and she entered the contest "Singing with Sugarland" a few months ago on You Tube. Imagine our surprise when we received the phone call from Sugarland's staff on Wednesday that she had won the contest. The Sugarland concert was amazing and of course, Aliyah's performance of "Baby Girl" onstage with Jennifer and Kristian was the highlight of the evening for me. She truly made the town of Arlington, TN proud! I was a little disappointed that our local media did not highlight this accomplishment, but I am confident that this was the first of many awesome opportunities for Aliyah. She was raised in a household filled with country music lovers (her grandmother and I). We are often questioned and teased by family and friends about whether Aliyah realizes she is black. Music is not about black or white, it is about loving the music. Music sees no color, there is no rule that states a little black girl cannot sing or love country music. Country music is one of Aliyah's passion, it is one of the avenues where she feels comfortable sharing her talent and showcasing her amazing voice. I will support Aliyah as she pursues her dreams and works to achieve her goals. She can do anything she puts her mind to, even becoming a Country Music star if that's what she chooses! The compliments and high fives she was given as we left the Forum on Friday proved that the crowd didn't care about the color of her skin, they cared about the performance she delivered.  Aliyah will not be dissuaded by the color of her skin, she will rise above the limitations! She is my baby girl and she makes me proud!
Click this link to read the story on Sugarland's website:
http://www.sugarlandmusic.com/news/93921

Rare Great Customer Service Moment

So, usually I turn to social media to complain about terrible customer service. However, today I am excited about a rare and shocking positive customer service experience. 95% of the time my interactions with customer service reps are actually ok, while only about 4% are terrible and send me into tyrants of rage and frustration which I usually post on FB, Twitter, or in this blog. That leaves about a 1% chance for outstanding customer service interactions, those few experiences when the customer service reps go above and beyond the expected or anticipated level of hospitality and who appear to genuinely enjoy their job. Well, I had such an experience yesterday in, of all places, a McDonald's. I have never in my 32 years on earth encountered such a pleasant experience in a McDonald's during the lunch rush. My family and I made an unplanned stop at the McDonald's (store # 32170) in Benton, Arkansas en route to the Magic Springs Amusement Park yesterday at around noon. The place was packed with families and other patrons looking for a quick lunch. We walked in with a sense of dread as we looked at the long lines and assumed that this "quick" stop for lunch would delay us for at least another thirty minutes. However, this was not the case at all. To my surprise, the lines moved quite swiftly. I was eagerly greeted by a cashier who accurately and efficiently took my lengthy order with no errors. The manager could be heard encouraging his staff with remarks such as : "good job grill team getting those orders out", or "I like the way you cleared the drive thru line in less than a minute". The entire team seemed to work together seamlessly and it appeared that everyone knew what job they were responsible for and they did that job. The cashier did not once show signs of being annoyed or frustrated by my large order that consisted of a few special requests. Our food was delivered to us piping hot and just as ordered in less than a minute. Everything that we requested was on the tray, including the sauce for the nuggets. I did not have to ask for anything, not even napkins. I left this McDonald's as a highly satisfied customer wishing that the McDonald's at home was as great as this one. The McDonald's in Benton, Arkansas has proven that great customer service and food can be delivered at a fast food restaurant.