Products I've Used Up

Before we move on the weekend, I needed to clear out the big bag of products that I have finished in the past couple of months from beneath my desk. 

First of all, to get it out of the way, a few of the items here are actually Tim's. Two of them are the Head & Shoulders Pyrithione Zinc Dandruff Shampoo for Men in Active Sport and the Old Spice Matterhorn Body Wash. Tim has really sensitive skin and a really dry scalp. So he has to use a dandruff shampoo that isn't too harsh. The Head & Shoulders ones all seem to do a good job, but he likes the manly smelling ones best. I've already repurchased another bottle, but I bought the collaboration Head & Shoulders has done with Old Spice. My Dad used Old Spice aftershave for years, and while they've significantly modernized the different smells, I just get nostalgic over Old Spice stuff in general. I bought Tim the body wash because of it and I'm so glad I did. The Matterhorn scent is so good. Every time he showered with this I wanted to seduce him. Too much info? Sorry! It just really smells that good. I couldn't find it to repurchase, so I bought him the Old Spice Champion one instead, but it doesn't smell as good or linger as long. The Matterhorn scent is still listed on their website, so I'll just have to look around for it a bit more. I bought both of these products originally at Shoppers Drug Mart.

I was so sad when I finished up this tub of Lush Ocean Salt Face and Body Scrub. For one, it's really expensive. And besides that, I absolutely love this stuff. The sea salt is really coarse and gritty so that you really feel like it's exfoliating. I get lots of ingrown hairs and bumps and I found this helped a lot. Plus it's nice and moisturizing. It doesn't have a strong scent at all. I haven't repurchased this yet because I have a Soap & Glory scrub to get through, but the next time I'm at Lush I'm definitely picking up another one of their scrubs. I bought this one at Lush in Boston.

I (boringly) used up a canister of Gillette Satin Care Passionista Fruit Shave Gel. I have nothing bad to say about this. It smelled okay, it worked well. I've never met a shave gel that really stood out to me. Also finished are canisters of L'Oreal Elnett Satin Extra Strong Hold Volume with Pro-Keratine Hair Spray and Batiste Original Dry Shampoo. The L'Oreal Elnett is a cult product that deserves every bit of praise it's received. It has great hold but doesn't get crunchy. If you comb or brush through it, it doesn't flake. It doesn't smell overly heinous. I just wish someone would explain the difference in all the different strengths and holds to me. I don't understand them. I've already bought another bottle of this. I love the Batiste for keeping my hair looking good without greasiness. I have really, really fine hair and it gets greasy at the roots very quickly. The Batiste also adds in some volume. Because my hair is dark, it can look very white and powdery on, but I just take the time to really massage it in with my fingers and it's usually okay. I HATE the scented versions of this. Especially the Blush or Blossom - the pink one. It's very strong, and very chemical smelling. They didn't have the Original version in stock when I went back to Shoppers to buy this, so I bought the Fat Hair dry shampoo instead. 

I finally used up the tub of my favourite Davines Melu Mellow Anti-Breakage Lustrous Shampoo with Spinach Extract for Long or Damaged Hair. This stuff is the best I can find for long, thin hair. I had such incredible results stopping breakage with this stuff. It's really moisturizing and protective, but it doesn't weigh my hair down at all. It's pricey, but I would absolutely recommend it if you have long and damaged, or long and fine hair. It doesn't take much, so it lasts a long time. I buy it at Catalina Salon. They're currently out, so I'm just waiting for it to come back in stock.

Three more full-sized products I finished are the Soap and Glory Hand Food Hydrating Hand Cream, Bioderma Sensibio H2O Micelle Solution for Sensitive Skin, and Lancome Bi-Facil Double Action Eye Makeup Remover. The Soap and Glory hand cream is my favourite hand cream for work. I'm an accountant and work with paper all day in a dry office environment, so I go through a lot of hand cream. This one smells great, very light and not offensive when you're working in an office. It's nicely hydrating, but not sticky or oily. The Bioderma is another cult product and I completely agree. It's amazing. It's so gentle on your skin. But it's a really good cleanser that even takes off a lot of eye makeup without a lot of work. I've never had any problem with it getting into my eyes and hurting. This is my lazy night solution when I don't want to actually wash my face but I need to take off the day's makeup. It's also what I use first thing in the morning when I don't shower to wipe the sleep and oil off of my face and just prep my skin for moisturizer and serums. For days when I'm wearing a lot of eye makeup or just want something that works a bit faster than the Bioderma, I use the Bi-Facil. It's a double phase cleanser, so some kind of a water based and oil based cleanser in one. You shake it and they mix. The oil is really gentle on your eyes and way better at removing makeup than a water based cleanser. Once it sits for a bit it settles back into the two separate cleansers. I have been using this cleanser for years. I've tried other brands, but keep coming back to this. It's just so good. I've already repurchased all of these items at Shoppers. 

The last two full-sized products I've finished are the OPI Matte Nail Envy Nail Strengthener and L'Oreal Paris MagicLumi Concealer in Light. The OPI Nail Envy is my favourite base coat. It's strong, dries quickly, and protects my nails from discolouration from the coloured polishes I use. I don't know if I actually buy into it improving my nail condition. My nails are still super weak and tend to split easily. I do feel like it extends the length of my manicures. I've already repurchased another base coat from this line from Winners. I love using the MagicLumi concealer to brighten up my undereye area. I do generally use it over my Lise Watier concealer that provides more coverage. I thought that I would try out the Maybelline DreamLumi and I can't wait until it's finished to go back to the L'Oreal one. The Maybelline one just goes on too pink. It's not as brightening.

I have also managed to finish a whole bunch of samples from my stash. I actually gave the Lancome Creme Radiance Clarifying Cream-to-Foam Cleanser for Normal/Combination Skin to Tim because he was breaking out and really oily over the summer. He LOVED it. The foam consistency means he doesn't have to lather it up (so lazy), it doesn't really have any smell to it, and it's really gentle. I've already purchased him the full size of this. 

I used up a little bottle of the La Roche Posay Physiological Foaming Water and didn't like it as much as the Bioderma. I felt like it wasn't quite as cleansing and left a residue on my skin. Plus it had more of a scent to it. 

I did really like the Vichy Capital Soleil Sheer Lotion SPF 60 Bare Skin Feel - even more than my La Roche Posay facial sunscreen I'm using now. It felt like it absorbed into my skin better and was a better base layer for makeup. I'm really fair, so I like to wear a strong sunscreen most days. The Vichy Liftactiv Serum 10 for Eyes and Lashes was a neat product too. I liked that you could spread it completely across your eyes. I used it underneath my regular eye cream. I didn't see a huge difference from using this tiny sample, but I would consider buying a full-size to really give it a good shot.

I've gone through tons of these little bottles of Lancome Genifique Youth Activating Concentrate. I use Lancome foundation and the Bi-Facil, so if you order online you can always time it to get their sample sets, which are really amazing. They generally have a full eyeshadow quad and lipstick, a moisturizer and/or a serum, and are always in gorgeous little makeup bags. I really love their serums. I still have lots of samples, but I would consider buying a full-size bottle eventually. The Murad Rapid Collagen Infusion Serum is the same for me. The sample was too tiny to tell if it had any results, but I really loved the feeling of this serum. I would definitely consider buying a full size, but I don't think Shoppers carries this. I have been super leery of this whole BB cream trend lately. Not because I don't like the skin benefits they claim, but because none of them seem to be light enough for my skin tone. There just aren't enough shades in most lines. But I got a sample of this Garnier Miracle Skin Perfecter for Combination to Oily Skin in Light from a magazine and I really like it. Enough to buy it next time I'm in Shoppers. It doesn't feel like you have any makeup on, but it gives light to medium coverage. It just makes your skin look really good and it is definitely light enough for my pale skin. 

I used a few of my one-time-use fragrance samples. I need to be better about this, since I still have a whole drawer of them. I loved each of the Ralph Lauren The Big Pony Collection for Women 4, Givenchy Play for Her Eau de Parfum Intense, and Givenchy Play for Her Eau de Parfum. I don't need any more perfumes right now, but if anyone wanted to give me a gift, these are all really up my alley.

Such a long post!! Now that I have the blog back up and running, I'll try to do these more frequently so they aren't so overwhelming.

Market morning (plus Chasing the Cheese)!

Saturday morning I was so glad that Tim and I took it easy Friday night. We got up decently early and made it to the market, then to Chasing the Cheese! 

At the market we got pierogies from Taste of Russia - again, we ate them before we got out of the market. So they didn't make it into the market haul shot. We found the squash blossoms right before Taste of Russia at C. Bruni and Sons Farms and were chatting with the vendor about wanting pierogies. Lo and behold, C. Bruni and Sons provides the potatoes for Taste of Russia's pierogies! It was neat to make that local farm connection, and made me even more impressed with Taste of Russia. You could really tell that the woman at C. Bruni and Sons loved that we loved the pierogies. There was a lot of well-deserved pride there.

Sad story regarding the squash blossoms, though. I bought them on Saturday expecting to make ricotta-stuffed squash blossoms on Sunday, since we had my friends Carley and Pete's wedding to go to Saturday evening. I put them in water, expecting them to be like any flowers, but by Sunday morning they were a wilted, glued together mess. I had to sulk a little before throwing them out. Oh well, lesson learned. I either need to find a better way to store them, or make them same day.

The assorted plums are from Eadie Fresh Fruit. We were already eyeing the fruit there from about twenty feet away and the one gentleman must have had eagle eyes for a likely sale. He called us in like a veteran car salesman. It was great for us, though, because those purple oblong plums are absolutely amazing. We bought the corn, tomatoes, and ground cherries all from McLean's Berry Farm. 

We also found these ADORABLE currant tomatoes at McLean's. Don't be fooled - the tomatoes to the left are not roma tomatoes. Those are grape tomatoes. The ones we would think of as small. These currant tomatoes are teeny-tiny!! Probably a centimetre or less across. I love them! I've e-mailed McLean's to see if I can source these for the pasta salad for the wedding. Not having to cut the tomatoes would be amazing. If I can get the tomatoes there, I'll get the fruit for the trifles there as well.

After the market, we popped over to see Julie at Chasing the Cheese to figure out the smoked cheese for the pasta salad for the wedding. Chasing the Cheese is doing all of the cheeses for our wine and cheese hour at the wedding and they've been above and beyond fantastic to work with. Plus that shop is one of my most happy places in Peterborough. Oh, the cheese!!

Cheese-cheese-cheese-cheese!

Next time I'm in I want to pick up one of their apple ciders. 

We picked out the Bothwell Smoked Cheddar for the pasta salad, but I also bought a $10 cheese "grab bag". I managed to find one that had three cheeses Tim and I have not tried yet, plus it has three cow's cheeses. While I LOVE really funky, goaty cheeses (try the Grey Owl when you stop in, it's my favourite!!), Tim prefers more main-stream choices. I justified the cheese purchasing by needing to clean out the cheese-related jellies and condiments from our fridge before we move. Tim just shakes his head. I'm a sucker for cheese. I forgot to grab baguette, though, so I need to do that on my way home from work tonight.

I also picked up a Fresh Ginger Ginger Ale by Bruce Cost because Wendy had bought some for Dean last time we were in. This stuff is incredible!! I would drink this every single day if I could. I love ginger, but this isn't a ginger beer - it doesn't punch you in the face with the ginger flavour. It is much stronger than regular ginger ale, though, with a good sweetness and spiciness to it. I love it!

Stand Up Paddleboard Camping in the Kawarthas

I've always loved the outdoors and camping. My parents (well, mainly my mother) are avid fishermen. But in my years of experience, I don't know that I've ever personally met anyone who is as crazy about getting outside and away from things as Tim is. Tim and his brother Matt will seize the slightest chance to go camping. So when Tim was getting frustrated with wedding stuff early this week and called Matt to see if he was available, Matt and his buddy Rob immediately jumped on the idea. They formulated a bare-bones plan to take Tim and Rob's three stand-up paddleboards, find a river or lake somewhere, and paddle out to a campsite. I was skeptical (as always) about the merits of this plan, especially since they would have to take a minimum of gear and the weather stations were all predicting rain and storms. 

Matt and Rob making sure everything necessary is in dry bags. Just in case.

They headed out Tuesday night north of Burleigh Falls to Eel's Creek. Eel's Creek is the river that High Falls is on, where Tim and I had our engagement photos done. After loading everything into dry bags they paddleboarded upstream past the falls until they found a good spot to camp. Tim fell into the water once when his paddleboard rudder hit a log. Matt fell in once as well when he was hit broadside by the current from the falls. Thank God for those dry bags!

Matt, after finding his balance on the paddleboard. A little different when you're carrying a loaded pack.

Tim, extremely happy to not be at home cutting out placecards for the wedding.

It's easier to keep your balance on the SUP with the pack actually on the SUP instead of on your back.

Tarps set up for the first night, had to be revamped after rain managed to leak through the very well worn Rollwagen tarp.

Tuesday night they got quite a bit of rain. Thankfully they had enough rum in their systems that they all got a half-decent sleep, because Wednesday night the mosquitoes were terrible. Tim's ankles look like a very rashy pregnant woman's. The crazy storms we had in Peterborough Wednesday night luckily - from my point of view, not Tim's - slid just south and north of them. 

While we had boiling black clouds, they had these puffy pink ones! Tim refers to these as mammatus clouds; a sign of a very serious storm.

Promo shot of the SUPs by their campsite.

Great shot of Rob and Matt portaging their SUPs - way easier than canoes!! Tim's iPhone is still a little damp from falling in the water. Luckily his Lifeproof case kept it safe!

Tim's SUP is a Starboard from Wild Rock Outfitters in Peterborough. This is the first time he has taken it camping.  His normal adventures are across Little Lake to the Silver Bean Cafe for coffee.

Butter tart for dinner!

Knowing that I had missed him SO MUCH while he was camping, Tim brought me butter tarts when he came home yesterday! They stopped at Swiss Bear Restaurant and Bakery in Apsley for breakfast and he picked up what was probably six butter tarts. There were four left by the time they made it to me, but four is enough. I'm not greedy or anything.

These were great butter tarts. I was worried at first that they were non-raisin ones, but Tim apparently knows that all real butter tarts must have raisins. 

Look at those raisins!! They were all plumped up from baking in the butter tart filling. The filling itself wasn't too sweet and was perfectly set. Not crunchy on top, but there was no drippage at all once they were cut in half. And the pastry was light and soft, but didn't sag at all . . . Can you tell I love butter tarts? I've had quite a few in my life, some of them pretty bad. But these ones from Swiss Bear were really, really good. I thought it was such a nice touch that their bakery labels for takeout said Wandering Bear! Good branding!

Video of the storm

The first section of the video is right at the beginning of the storm, just with the cloud cover starting to come over. The second is when the wind has started to pick up. The third is probably a half hour after the second, where I've already run for cover under the porch. It was raining so hard I couldn't see the lake from the porch, which is only maybe thirty feet away!