Melissa's Blogs

Melissa wrote the blog post Eye cream Help! (March 15 at 11:09pm)

Hey Guys!...well maybe the girls would be a little more helpful in this case :) Unfortunately I am one of those individuals who is cursed with bad genetics and I have dark circles under my eyes. There isn't much I can do but I am aware that when I am stressed or sleep deprived, the dark circles amplify and I resemble a gruesome zombie --serious raccoon eyes. Lately, I have been working a lot so extra sleep isn't really an option. I use concealer in the day but I am looking for an eye cream...

dogsrock
dogsrock I can definitely relate. I don't think I've ever seen dark circles as bad as mine, especially because I'm very fair which really makes them stand out. I've tried nearly every cream on the market, some were pretty pricey, such as Teamine and none of them worked. I had to get them online, couldn't find any in the stores. So I'm also hoping someone will respond to this. (March 15 at 11:30pm)
oceandreams
oceandreams @dogsrock and @Melissa - What works for me is using a night cream like Oil of Olay (something intensive that will help your eyes) and lately I've found this eye makeup to help during the day: http://www.joeshopping.com/search/?keyWords=too+fa ced+eye&action=products&x=0&y=0 (Too Faced Therapeutic Herbal in the lower right hand corner) and this website might help, all are great brands: http://www.sephora.com/browse/section.jhtml?catego ryId=S10820 (April 6 at 2:10am)
oceandreams
oceandreams @ktk502 - I'll have to look into that. I've staying up waaaay too late at night! ;) (April 6 at 10:49am)
Melissa wrote the blog post Microwave Shopping! (February 21 at 10:33pm)

So I recently moved in to a "new" apartment and am buying all of those the accessories and items you never think of buying until you move somewhere new and realize how essential they are.   The apartment I've moved to oddly enough does not come standard with a microwave. Now, this might sound silly but I never realized how simple a microwave makes your life until I moved here. I've been spending a lot of money on a lot of other things lately so I am trying aiming to spend less than...

dogsrock
dogsrock We've been using the same microwave since 1995, no kidding! It's a Sharp Carousel 1050 Watt High Speed. It's been so long ago that I don't even remember where we got it or how much it cost. lol @Andrew , that would have won a Funniest Home Video award. I know it wasn't funny at the time though. (February 21 at 10:51pm)
Andrew
Andrew Oh, no. My wife thought it was hilarious! I was standing in the kitchen about 10 feet from the microwave when it blew. I just heard band and felt hot "things' hit me. I thought the glass shattered or something. She saw it all and couldn't stop laughing. When I told her I thought I was dying, she laughed even harder. :) (February 21 at 10:52pm)
dogsrock
dogsrock Ok, I admit it... I would have been in stitches too, lol! My worst microwave mishap was when I was going to cook eggs in one of those microwave egg cookers that Walmart sells. It exploded and the whole house smelled like burned rotten eggs. (February 21 at 10:57pm)
dreamcatcher
dreamcatcher those stories are hilarious...glad no one was seriously injured (February 22 at 11:10am)
Melissa
Melissa Oh my! I would have been sooo scared that my house would burn down lol.
haha- but I think this story makes your wife awesome! (February 22 at 9:56pm)
Melissa wrote the blog post Acne Medicine (December 30 at 9:32pm)

This morning I found myself scouring through the beauty aisle looking for a new breakout cream. Having done my research, I realize the main active ingredients are usually benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid. But which ingredient is better to treat breakouts? Also, if all of these acne medications contain one of these two ingredients, what is the main difference other than the brand name?

oceandreams
oceandreams Neutrogena has great products, I'll have to try their spot gel, thanks for the tip! I'm not sure what the difference is between the two, but I personally would avoid the peroxide, it bleaches your clothes if you don't wash your hands right after. I personally think the acid is more effective, but I don't know the difference between the two. (December 31 at 5:39pm)
Melissa wrote the blog post Holiday candy and candy canes (December 4 at 6:27pm)

So I am pretty old school and have always stuck to the original red & white candy cans during the holiday season. However, I just caved and bought a pack of sweetarts candy canes....I've already eaten 3 in a row! They are absolutely awesome. This got me thinking. What type of candy do you and your family eat/"put out for guests" during the holidays? As I said before, I have always stuck to the classic peppermint candy canes. But there are tons of other candies out there, not to mention...

Melissa wrote the blog post I guess school is really over (November 30 at 10:35pm)

The end of December marks my first anniversary since graduating from college. This may not be a big deal to many people, but I still find myself somewhat lost without school.
Up until last year I spent the majority of my life being told what to do --studying for tests, writing unbelievably ling papers and in a constant state of panic attempting to manage assignments and that oh-so-typical social life. It's odd but I really miss it. This time last year I'd be getting two hours or sleep...

Melissa wrote the blog post Stove-top dish ideas (November 23 at 10:21pm)

Oih...so I was thinking, a lot of Thanksgiving dishes are traditionally made in the oven. But an oven is only so big. So if you are trying not to slave in the kitchen all day long, I suggest you try to divide the dishes into a fair (and plausible) amount that can be made in the oven and a couple that can be done quickly and effortlessly on the stove.   Here are a few easy (shortcut) suggestions: *Mashed Potatoes *Boxed Stuffing--- you can add extra ingredients (meat, crrots, etc.) to...

Melissa wrote the blog post Corn Casserole (November 22 at 10:00pm)

With Thanksgiving around the corner, I am sure food is on everyone's mind. Last year I made a super simple corn casserole for one of my dish contributions and it completely stole the show. Everyone (including myself) loved it. Now, it isn't the healthiest dish, but it's undoubtedly tasty. If you are short on time and would like to make a quick delicious dish, definitely try it out. The recipe is posted below. I'm not from the south but I'm told it's considered a southern recipe.  ...

TammyLyne
TammyLyne mmmmmmmm this sounds DeLish! (November 22 at 10:32pm)
MeltDownFreeDis
MeltDownFreeDis Thanks for this! (November 23 at 1:33am)
thelifeofrylie
thelifeofrylie I LOVE corn casserole! In fact, I was just telling my husband last night how I want to take the ingredients and make it when we get to his mom's for Thanksgiving, because Thanksgiving dinner won't be the same without it. Happy Thanksgiving! (I also add shredded cheddar cheese to the top of mine for the last 5 minutes of baking. YUM!) (November 23 at 8:35am)
dreamcatcher
dreamcatcher sounds good... what temp should the oven be? (November 23 at 12:44pm)
Melissa
Melissa whoops sorry. I bake it at 350. (November 23 at 6:45pm)
Melissa wrote the blog post Homemade Ice Cream (November 17 at 12:07am)

Christmas is around the corner and I was thinking of getting an ice creamer maker for the holdidays this year. When my brother and I were kids my mom would make ice cream for us all the time during the summer. Since she lives in Florida, it is always warm and can get use out of it anytime. Also, we have a lot of family gatherings and we've finally reached that cycle where there are little cousins, nieces and nephews running around. I want them to grow up with a feeling of family...

Andrew
Andrew OOooh, yeah. I bought my wife the basic Cuisinart one (older model of what you have listed above). It's good. Fairly simple to use. The big part is you have to remember to keep the tub in the freezer so when you're ready to make the ice cream it's all set. But I bought her a newer model a few years ago that blows it away. Let me see if I can find it... (November 17 at 9:18am)
Adam
Adam I find it disconcerting that the hand-crank ice cream maker is so much pricier than the electric ones. Like buying a Bowflex compared to a set of free weights, eh? (November 17 at 11:52am)
barbarasbeat
barbarasbeat I have been wanting one too, but I want it to do it fast and I want to be able to make more than one at a time. Yo know, he kids and mine. (November 18 at 3:32am)
Melissa wrote the blog post Crime Scene TV Shows (November 13 at 4:22pm)

It seems like everyday they are adding a new Crime Scene type of show to the list. 1. CSI --Miami, Vegas, New York --that's it right? 2. NCIS 3. Bones 4. Psych 5. Tne Mentalist That's all that comes to mind at the moment, but I know there are so very much more. i like these type of shows but I am honestly not going to watch them all. Does anyone have any recommendations on which ones are worth it and which ones aren't? I also feel like this whole idea is way over done. They show weed...

Andrew
Andrew I don't watch any of these. Though of any of them, I'd be curious to give Bones a try. (November 14 at 3:19pm)
Melissa wrote the blog post Thoughts on the new Superman Movie (November 10 at 6:33pm)

Who do you think should play the new Superman?
I recently read an article about casting for the film and apparently there are a number of actors lined up. Personally I think Brandon Routh would do a great job playing superman again, but I realize they are trying to disassociate themselves with the old film and revamp the movie. A few things worry me:
1. In the article, it said 51% of viewers wanted Tom Welling to play Superman. I'm not sure if I am the only sane person capable...

Karl
Karl Tom Welling can act. He's just a decent actor in a frequently bad show. I agree with you 100% about the Reeve era villains. It was 30 years ago, people! Get over it! No more Luthor or Zod, please. Superman has other good villains. Parasite would be a great genuine threat for the movies. (November 11 at 7:18am)