What to look for in a Hair Straightener

It had to happen eventually. My faithful hair straightener finally bit the dust. It's had hours of use by both me and my teen daughter and it just couldn't take it anymore. We all know how well teens care for appliances. Well, it had been dropped a fair number of times, the plastic was cracked and taped back together but it still heated day after day so I didn't see the need to replace it.

Well, I finally did have to replace it. After a week of muggy weather, frizzies and just plain bad hair days, I couldn't take it anymore and I bought a new hair straightener and am I glad I did.

I got a reasonably priced ($27.99) device from Remington that has 30 heat settings as opposed to the 20 on the old one. Plus it will even work on damp or wet hair, taking it to dry, straight and smooth in one step.

I now realize too, just how much nicer it is to have the ceramic plates as opposed to the metal ones. Much smoother and my hair doesn't get caught in the appliance quite so much so I assume there will be less breakage and damage. The instructions say that the tourmaline in the plates have an ionic effect and will smooth out frizzies better. It does seem to do a great job, but it's still damp and drizzly outside so it's hard to tell yet.

If you're looking for a good hair straightener at a low price, I can say we are pleased with this one. In any case, I would definitely recommend you get one with the ceramic plates because I do notice a big difference in those and how my hair looks when I am done.

The most important part of any straightener is the ability to control the temperature, the ceramic plates and minimizing damage to your hair. You can get them in every price range from drugstore prices to expensive salon appliances. Just make sure that it has the features that protect your hair while giving you the smooth, sleek look you want.

It's a Blu World Contest

I love to bring you news of great contests and this contest is one of the best I have seen. BluFrog actually gives you your choice of 5 fabulous prizes if you're a winner in their It's a Blu World contest, and trust me, there's something here for everyone.

If you're an inveterate gamer, choose the BLUGAMER Ultimate Gaming Package with an Xbox 360 Elite System, Rock Band 2 Bundle and the complete Call of Duty: World at War. It's a gamer's dream.

For NASCAR fans there's a chance to have the Richard Petty Driving Experience in Orlando Florida if you choose the BluStreak prize. Stock car racing thrills on a speedway with your own pit crew to help out.

As if that's not cool enough, there's even more. You could fly to Aspen for the 14th annual Winter X Games with the Xtreme Blue Games prize. If you prefer the city to the mountains, maybe you'd rather try to win a New Year's Even in New York.

I can't think of any prize I would rather win than the trip to Chicago for the Lollapalooza music festival. Great bands and artists from every music genre perform at Grant Park in this world famous music jam with over 120 acts. And while I'm there, you can bet I'm going to find some Chicago deep dish pizza.

Here's the best part - it's so easy to enter. All you need to do is to tweet Blufrog and tell them which great prize you want to win and you've entered! So, what are you waiting for? Get over to Blufrog and check out this great contest and get your entry in.

Summer Hair Care - Sun Damage

It isn't just your skin that can suffer from the drying effects of the sun during the summer months. Warm weather brings us outdoors more often, and to different places like the pool or the beach. If you want to keep your hair looking smooth and silky all summer, a few essentials are necessary.

Number one: condition, condition, condition. Use a conditioning and moisturizing shampoo, an after-shampoo conditioner and do at least one deep conditioning or hot oil treatment per week. Another great idea is a spray-on leave-in conditioner that will give your hair an extra layer of protection against harsh pool chemicals and drying sun.

There's been some question of UV damage to hair and you can find hair products that contain sunscreen. There's no harm at all in using a product like this and it may help lessen sun damage to your hair.

Another great idea for protection from sun damage is to wear a hat. Hats can be the accessory that really makes an outfit sing, so find one that suits your style and personality and keep it all under your hat.

FDA Warning - Nestle Recalls Toll House Cookie Dough

If you're a fan of raw cookie dough, (and who isn't?), you need to know that Nestle has just recalled all varieties of its prepackaged, refrigerate Toll House cookie dough due to possible contamination with E. coli O157:H7.

The FDA is warning consumers not to ingest any of the Nestle's Toll House Cookie Dough. Cooking the dough is not safe either, because consumers could get bacteria on their hands and on cooking surfaces.

Another reminder from the FDA is never to eat raw any food that is meant to be cooked before eating. Always wash hands before and after food preparation and clean any cooking surfaces.

E. coli O157:H7 causes abdominal cramping, vomiting and a diarrheal illness, often with bloody stools. Most healthy adults can recover completely within a week. Young children and the elderly are at highest risk for developing HUS, which can lead to serious kidney damage and even death.

If you have any Nestle Toll House cookie dough, do not eat it whether it is baked or raw. Since March there have been 66 reports of illness in 28 states.

Vogue Editor Sounds Off on Skinny Models

The editor of Vogue says that models are becoming so skinny that the magazine has had to retouch photos to make their models appear larger. Not only that, she says that even the skinniest models can't get into the sample size clothes sent out by designers.

Alexandra Shulman sent a letter to all the major fashion houses, complaining about the focus on size zero clothing. She wishes that designers would start to design clothing for real women, and feels that the focus on being ultra-skinny is an unhealthy one that can lead to eating disorders among women and young girls.

In the last few years several models have literally starved themselves to death, trying to achieve the size necessary to be successful in their careers.

Read more here.

Award Winning Web Hosting

If you're like me, you want to get the best bargain no matter what it is you're shopping for. That means getting the best price without sacrificing quality. When it comes to webhosting, it means finding the features, bandwidth, reliability and customer service that you need.

Which host you choose is going to depend a lot on what you will be using it for. Are you starting an online business? Looking for the best blog host? If you're confused about which host will best serve your needs, you will find these web hosting awards to be a great resource.

Whatever type of hosting or features you need, you won't have to worry about wasting time doing all the research yourself. It's all been done for you and the best web hosting companies already identified with information on pricing, bandwidth, server monitoring, customer support and much more.

Getting the right host for your website is a lot easier when you can compare hosts and get objective reviews. Take the time to check out the reviews and the award-winning hosts to make the job a whole lot less troublesome.

FDA Recall - Hand Sanitizers

Hand and skin sanitizers have become increasingly popular in recent years. Many households keep a bottle of hand sanitizer in the kitchen and bathroom and many people like to keep one handy at their desk in the office, in the car or even a carry-size in a purse or pocket. But not all hand sanitizers are equally effective and this week the FDA actually warned about one brand of sanitizer that is dangerous due to bacterial contamination.

The brand is Clarcon and they make a variety of skin and hand products and santizing lotions. The FDA states that a high level of disease-causing bacteria was found in Clarcon products and the company has voluntarily recalled the suspect products.

Please check the list to see if you have any of these products in your house. The FDA recommends you throw the product away and do not use it. Some of the contaminating bacteria can cause opportunistic infections of the skin and underlying tissues. Such infections may need medical or surgical attention, and may result in permanent damage. Examples of products that should be discarded include:

Citrushield Lotion

Dermasentials DermaBarrier

Dermassentials by Clarcon Antimicrobial Hand Sanitizer

Iron Fist Barrier Hand Treatment

Skin Shield Restaurant

Skin Shield Industrial

Skin Shield Beauty Salon Lotion

Total Skin Care Beauty

How to Get Free of Contacts with iLASIK

I can remember standing at the counter in the optometrist's office some years ago,faced with a bill for my contact lenses. In exasperated tones, I told the woman behind the counter that people who can see have no idea how much money it saves them. She smiled, but looked unperturbed.

I really hate wearing glasses, but the cost of contact lenses and solutions over the years can really add up. Wouldn't it be nice if you could just have improved vision without having to wear glasses or contacts? With LASIK, now you can.

LASIK is surgery that corrects your vision. It's quick, virtually painless and has an excellent track record. In fact, patient satisfaction rate with laser surgery is 98%. That's impressive considering that 3.5 million people had laser vision correction surgery last year.

The iLASIK procedure results in 20/20 vision, in some cases better than 20/20. Imagine waking up in the morning and being able to see. No time spent rinsing the contact lenses or trouble inserting them. No danger of infection from contact lenses. Just clear vision without glasses or contact lenses.

Maybe you think you can't afford iLASIK. Did you know there are financing options available? Think about payments as low as $89 a month compared to the amount of money you've spent over the years for contacts and the amount you will spend in the years to come. A lifetime of wearing contacts can cost up to $25,000!

You owe it to yourself to check out the advantages of iLASIK. An experienced and qualified surgeon will examine you and tell you whether or not you are a candidate for iLASIK surgery. You can also take the quiz at the website to see if you are eligible, most people find that they are.

The truth is that you can get some vision correction with glasses or contacts, but iLASIK can eliminate the need for any other vision correction, give you better vision than with glasses or contacts and set you free from a lifetime of hassle and expense.

Max Factor Being Pulled from US Stores

The cosmetics company founded by the man who coined the word "makeup" is about to disappear from US store shelves. Max Factor, now owned by Proctor & Gamble is more popular in other countries than in the US and P&G is going to stop distributing Max Factor products in America.

Max Factor, born Maximillian Faktorowicz, invented the first pan cake makeup and the first lip gloss, both necessary for motion pictures old. In the early days of Hollywood, the name Max Factor meant beauty and glamor.

Max Factor products will still be available in more than 70 other countries, but not in the US as of next year. So, if you have a special product you can't live without, it might be time to stock up.

Save Money on Baby Formula

Over the years I have learned the money-saving lessons of comparing store brands to name brands. Often, I found that buying the store brand gave me a product that was in every way as satisfactory as the more expensive name brand while also saving me money.

Mothers face a particular budget crunch with a new baby. In addition to rising costs of disposable diapers or diaper services if you go with cloth diapers, for some mothers there's the added expense of baby formula.

Pediatricians will tell you that when it comes to baby's nutrition, the breast is best. In some instances though, a mother may choose to use a baby formula to feed her infant or to supplement the baby's nutritional intake. This can occur because of difficulties in breastfeeding or because the mom's schedule makes supplementing with formula necessary.

Whatever the reason you choose to feed your baby a formula, you may be dismayed at the prices. What you may not know is that many retailers are now carrying store-brand formula at much lower prices. If you are concerned about the nutritional value and safety of a store-brand formula, you may be reassured to know that all baby formulas must adhere to strict guidelines set by the FDA.

Parent's Choice Infant Formula is a nutritionally complete infant formula available from Wal-Mart that meets the strict guidelines determined by the FDA for formula. You don't have to sacrifice nutrition to save money on formula.

If you can meet your baby's nutritional needs and save money, why wouldn't you? Families can save $600 a year by switching, that's money you can save for your baby's future.

How much could you save with Parent's Choice? Find out today by using the handy Savings Calculator at the Parent's Choice website.

Remember, only you and your baby's health care professional can make decisions about important issues like feeding your baby.