Book Review: Must Love Shoes by Julie Gaver – Review by Phoebe

As usual, I’ll start this review with a confession. I’m a sucker for shoes. Heels, pumps, flats, sandals, flip flops, wedges, sneakers, boots and anything else that sounds even remotely like something that belongs on my feet. So when I had the opportunity to review a book entitled, “Must Love Shoes,” I was like, duh!

When I read other reviews of this book, I knew it was something I just had to read for myself. So, I got on the horn and contacted the author. I heard back from Julie almost immediately. Even through e-mail, her personality jumped from the computer screen and I instantaneously felt “normal.”  I mean, let’s face it: When you’re communicating with a professional speaker whose client list includes Merrill Lynch, US Department of Commerce and Women in Defense, it can be a little intimidating! But Julie has a way with words that left me feeling as if we had known each other for years … which had me on the edge of my seat awaiting the delivery of her book!

I received the book within a couple of days – autographed of course. Oh, but Julie … the whole purpose of our blog is that you can’t “bribe” us to write a good review! So, as friendly and efficient as Julie was thus far, it did her no good if I didn’t enjoy the book! For the record, this kindness of Julie’s is not to say that she WAS bribing us. Just to be clear on that point.

The book is 132 pages including title pages and spacers, so I knew it would be a quick read. Luckily, I had some time right at that moment (I broke my ankle a few weeks back and was confined to the sofa for quite some time, but that’s a-WHOLE-nother blog post). The moment of truth! I began reading the book and instantly realized it was a blog … in book form. Perfect! I love reading blogs!

Each chapter is a small personal story from Julie. The chapters are literally like 3-4 pages long which makes the reading fly by. I got 45 minutes into the book and realized I was halfway done with it! Every time I got to the end of a chapter, I was like, “Well, the next chapter is only a few pages long so I might as well just do one more.” At 1 hour, I forced my fiance to begin making dinner so I could keep reading. I also had that broken ankle as an excuse to pawn responsibility off onto a more capable person.

Julie Gaver gets wonderfully personal and has absolutely no problem making fun of herself, which I find humbling and humorous. Especially after breaking my ankle after tripping on NOTHING during a flag football game. Even though my teammates never found it, I SWEAR there was a hole in the ground.

Each chapter of “Must Love Shoes” tells a different story with a different message. After finishing the book in one hour and fifteen minutes, here’s a short list of 10 things I walked away with after reading this book:

1. State troopers will NOT weigh you.
2. The reason I don’t have eyes in the back of my head is because humans weren’t meant to see their own asses.
3. If someone sporting a whistle gives you the stink eye, just leave the premises before you’re thrown out.
4. I’m not the only one whose undergarments have left me speechless.
5. Hopping into the wrong car in the parking lot is, indeed COMPLETELY normal.
6. Sometimes you just get lucky.
7. “Bajeebas” is a word.
8. There is no better time to find your voice than right now.
9. Even though my kids are teens and driving me absolutely bonkers, they’ll be gone from the house one day.
10. Call your Aunt Carol as often as you can.

Perhaps this list doesn’t make sense to you. Which is why you should read this book. Want to know more about the book before you spend your hard earned $14.95? Check out the website at http://mustloveshoesthebook.com. The best part about this site? If you want more of Julie’s clever and witty little tid bits, there’s MUCH more on her blog! Enough that it will take you MUCH longer than one hour to read them! You can also find Julie on Facebook and Twitter.

While I did receive this product free from the author, I would highly recommend you get a copy of this book for your friends, sisters, moms, aunts and anyone else who can appreciate the humor, humility and honor of being a woman. And I’m not just saying that because I like Julie. It really is a darn good book. Obviously, I give “Must Love Shoes” a rating of 5 Cups of Joe.

Smooth Away Review by Phoebe

Okay, I have a confession. I’m a sucker for anything wielding an “As Seen on TV” sticker and priced $9.99 or under. I mean, honestly … it’s under $10 and if it doesn’t work, then there’s not much of a loss. So when I saw the Smooth Away on sale at my local Walgreen’s store, I picked it up in a hurry. I didn’t even wait until I got home. As soon as I got into my car, I buckled up, put it in gear and started opening the package as I drove out of the parking lot. As I drove down the road, I pulled up my jeans and began rubbing (add that to the list of things I never thought I’d hear myself say).

I must admit was pleasantly surprised. It actually rubbed the hair right off my leg. I was like, “Whaaaat?” How does that work? For the sake of safety, I decided to wait until I got home to begin reading the package insert. When I arrived home and started looking through the package, I saw that it came with two different sized hand-held applicators, one large size that fits in your palm and another smaller size that slips on your finger. It also came with 8 interchangeable “pads,” four for each size. It also came with a plastic storage thingy…similar to a plastic wallet for storing your kit.

I read the instructions which were pretty self-explanatory. You just rub wherever unwanted hair appears. When I was able to remove my jeans and put on shorts, I kept rubbing away. The Smooth Away claims to exfoliate your skin as it removes the hair. I suppose that’s somewhat true. It made my skin white and ashy. I would definitely recommend using some lotion after using the Smooth Away if not rinsing off completely or using it before you shower. When I tried using the large pad on my legs, it worked to a point. It removed the lighter hair and did leave my legs feeling smooth (but ashy). However, it did not remove all the hair. I was left with prickly stubble all over that the Smooth Away just couldn’t seem to remove. I rubbed harder. Still wouldn’t work. Okay, so it works … just not perfectly.

I didn’t give up. I have another confession. I have a happy trail. Ya know … those stubborn little hairs that form a trail between your belly button and … well … ya know. I gave it a shot. Same result. It removed some of them, but not all of them. What about my armpits? It worked on my armpits similar to how it worked on my legs. It worked a little, but did not give nearly the same effect as shaving. Before I knew it, I was rubbing that pink little applicator all over my body as if it had a license. I must admit, I did NOT try it on my face. While I have a few facial hairs that I pluck on a regular basis, I didn’t use it on my face for fear that it would make the hair that doesn’t need plucked grow back thicker. Afterall, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

All in all, I would recommend the Smooth Away as a helpful tool to keep in your purse or your beach bag for those “Oops, I missed a spot” moments. I would not use it to actually replace shaving. I have often used it on my armpits when I forgot to shave them or decide at the last minute to throw on a tank top. It works well enough for that purpose. However, remember to keep the lotion handy! It really really leaves your skin ashy. My final ranking on the Smooth Away is just 3 Cups of Joe. I would recommend it as a back up, but its definitely something I would not buy my friends as a gift. I can live without it and it really doesn’t do what it says … completely.

Teva® Mush Flip Flop Review by Phoebe

Back in September of 2009, my fiance and I attended the wedding of a friend of his from his days as an airline pilot. I had met his friend on several occasions, but never got to meet his bride until we made the trip to West Virginia for the wedding. We were invited to stay in a chalet with the families of the bride and groom. It wasn’t until we were directed to our room when it was brought to my attention that the bride owned a couple of shoe stores. I love her already.

When we opened the door to our room at the chalet, there were two gift bags on the bed. One for him and one for me. Inside the gift bags were some snacks and a few gifts including a pair of flip flops. Say WHAT?! I love flip flops! The kind of love I would feel for a long, rough, oily back rub from a male underwear model on a beach in the French Riviera. True love.

I put the flip flops on my feet to ensure that they fit and I haven’t taken them off since. The flip flops were women’s size 8 Teva Mush sandals. The sandal from Teva gets its name from its “Durapontex® EVA midsole and three-point nylon thong upper, which offers a springy, luxurious fit” (according to their own product description). There was no breaking them in. They were immediately my new favorite footwear. Well … at least I THOUGHT there was no breaking them in.

I took the sandals home and wore them non-stop (as I said before). It wasn’t until a couple weeks after the wedding when I realized what made these flip flops even more better. Yes, I said, “even more better.” Because that’s how awesome what I’m about to tell you is: The sandals began to take the shape of my feet. Sure this happens sometimes with flip flops, but this was different. Is was almost like slipping my foot into a mold that was made specifically and uniquely for my own feet. Arch support in a flip flop?! What!?

The support that I began to experience from the Teva Mush was incredible. I would go to amusement parks and instead of wearing sneakers, I would wear my Tevas. I would take a walk with my family and instead of wearing sneakers, I would wear my Tevas. I would go to a sporting event (as a spectator) and instead of wearing sneakers, I would wear my Tevas. It’s ridiculous how comfortable they are!

*Before reading further, please be aware that “over-wearing” flip flops or wearing them for physical activity is frowned upon by most medical professionals and I do NOT recommend that you do this. It just so happens, I can be a little stubborn and tend not to listen to medical professionals.

I have owned them for two years now and they have not torn. They have not ripped. They have not crumbled. They have not given me blisters. They have not let me down … ever. If I could have intimate relations with these shoes, I would. *I’m sure this last suggestion would also be frowned upon by medical professionals.

Anytime I feel like making love to a shoe, it automatically gets 5 Cups of Joe.

 

 

 

Ouidad Climate Control Review by Phoebe

I have a confession to make: I am a former hair straightening addict. It didn’t matter where I was going or what I was doing: I would not leave the house with so much as a teeny wave in my hair.  I was born with stick straight hair. Then, when puberty hit, it brought with it some evil little troll who invaded my head and magically transformed my maintenance free straight hair into a curly, wavy, frizzy disaster. I immediately began straightening my hair and didn’t stop for 20 years. I started “getting my hair did” after I divorced back in 2003. This combined with chronic straightening and my hair became dry, damaged, overworked, overtreated and ultimately turned on me. I lost chunks of hair and my stylist put her foot down. I believe her exact words were, “I’m not highlighting your hair anymore and you need to stop straightening before you go bald.” Okay…maybe that’s not what she said, but that’s what I heard.

So I began wearing my hair curly and went through about 50 different products including mousses, gels, sprays, balms and even some kind of paste that took about one full week of shampooing to get completely out. I was at the end of my rope. Nothing would give me the curl I wanted without the frizz and stiffness. All I wanted were nice, gentle SOFT curls that could be touched without making them go limp or get frizzy.

I was up late one night and saw an infomercial for a product that claimed to instill “curl confidence” in it’s customers with a line of climate control gels and sprays that were guaranteed to give you the EXACT curl you want without frizz. Naturally, they showed before and after pictures to show the IMMEDIATE results. I was hesitant, but then I looked in the mirror at my out-of-control locks and decided that I had nothing to lose. It was reasonably priced and the before/after photos were hard to ignore.

I ordered it and 3 weeks later it appeared at my doorstep. Naturally, with most infomercial products they set you up on an auto-delivery, auto-pay system with the option to cancel within the first 30 days. However, you can order as little or as often as you need to on their website without the auto-delivery option. The package I ordered came with the Climate Control Heat and Humidity Gel, Moisture Lock Leave-In Conditioner, the Botanical  Boost Spray, a comb and 5 hair clips. I was a little overwhelmed. Why in the hell did I need all of this? I removed the instructional booklet from the box and saw that it also came with a DVD.  Oh…okay. Let’s watch.

I felt like I had all the information I needed to get started. I washed my hair and went to work. I started with the Leave-In Conditioner. My hair is a just little longer than shoulder length, so I used just a tad (maybe a quarter-size) of the conditioner. I worked into my hair as evenly as I could and moved onto the Climate Control Gel. The instructions say to let your hair air dry. So, I put it into the curling position I wanted using just the comb and my fingers. The clips are handy if you like a little “bounce” around the face. You secure the clips while your hair dries for a “lift.” I scrunched it just a little and left the hair at the top of my head and around my face a little straighter. Two hours later I was left with some crusty, heavy hair. I began “squeezing” the crustiness out of my hair by just scrunching it with my hands. This worked to soften up the curls and give it a softer look. However, the leave-in conditioner left my hair feeling REALLY weighed down and kinda sticky. Not cool. I believe that if you have very thick, dry or frizzy hair, then the leave-in conditioner may help you more than it helped me. I have average thickness to my hair, not thin, not thick…but my hair is FINE which may have led to the heaviness feeling.

So the next day, I tried it again without the leave-in conditioner. MUCH BETTER! While it still dried “crusty,” I was able to squeeze it soft and it kept its shape without the frizz. I might be in love. It took me about two weeks to figure out the right amount and styling secrets. But I stuck with it and now I use it almost every day. There are many different products to choose from on their website, www.ouidad.com. So many that it can be a little overwhelming. They make it easier by allowing you to shop by category, curl type or concern.

I use only the Climate Control Gel and it really gives me the look I spent nearly a year trying to perfect. I now have soft manageable curls that are easy to maintain and it doesn’t look “white-trashy” (I mean no offense to anyone by using that term, but couldn’t think of a better description). Not to mention, my hair is healthier than it’s been in nearly 8 years. My stylist was pleased with my progress and she happily began highlighting me again without threats of making me go bald. Always a plus.

There is ONE drawback to using the Ouidad Climate Control Gel. It doesn’t wash out well with regular shampoo (I have not tried the Ouidad Clear and Gentle Clarifying shampoo). There are still times when I like to straighten my hair. When I do, it tends to be sticky and frizzy and does NOT cooperate. I found that if I want to straighten, I need to use an over the counter clarifying shampoo to really get all the Ouidad product out of there. That would be my only drawback and is the only reason I’m giving Ouidad 4 Cups of Joe.

*I was not provided free/discounted products from Ouidad, nor did they ask me to review this product for them.

Easy Feet Review by Phoebe

So, I figured for the first review on ToBePerfectlyHonest.com I would review a product that I already own and have used several times. I received Easy Feet (As Seen on TV) as a gift last Christmas. Let me begin by saying that as a working mom, I’m on my feet ALOT! I often get the hard dry skin around my heels and small calluses on the outside of my pinky toes from wearing high heels almost every day. I also LOVE LOVE LOVE getting foot rubs. And I’m not talking the light, gentle, ticklish kind of foot rubs … I’m talking about the “you better use all your muscles and try to hurt me” kind of foot rubs! This mama don’t mess around.

Needless to say, when I got the Easy Feet, I was very anxious and excited to use it. The packaging was very nice with bright colors, clear pictures and inset images of close-up product features. The product was wrapped nicely in plastic inside the box and came with very easy to understand instructions. The product itself is strong and durable. Nothing chintzy about it.

As soon as I placed my Easy Feet in my bathtub, I found the first flaw. The floor of my bathtub is textured to avoid slips and falls. The suction cups on the bottom of the Easy Feet that are advertised to “grip to any floor,” did not grip to my bathtub floor. Not cool. I didn’t give up. I did exactly what the instructions told me NOT to do. I placed it on the side of the bathtub which had a smooth surface. The instructions advise against this for safety purposes (losing balance, slipping, tripping, etc…). Whatever.

Once I was able to get it suctioned to a surface in my bathtub, I rubbed the bristles down with bar soap. The instructions say to use liquid soap, but I don’t own liquid soap. I placed my foot inside the unit and began moving it back and forth to build suds. The bristles at the back are nice and hard. It felt very good on my heels. The bristles at the front are soft…too soft, in my opinion. I would prefer that all the bristles be hard and rough, but again, that’s just my preference. If you like nice soft foot rubs, then this would be great for you.

When I applied pressure with my heel to get some of the built-in-pumice-stone action, I found the second flaw. Too much pressure makes it slip and it won’t’ stay in place. Pumice stones are meant to be rough! You can’t just rub your foot gently against a pumice stone and think it’s going to help!  The instructions DO state that the unit will slip a bit here and there. But I found the amount of slippage made the pumice stone almost worthless.

All in all, the Easy Feet is good for everyday use. However for heavy duty cleaning and exfoliating, I have found it necessary to continue using other foot care products to really get the results I’m looking for. It’s for this reason that I’m giving Easy Feet 3 out of 5 cups of coffee.