Thursday, March 31, 2011

Clear Nail Polish

Everyone should own a bottle of clear nail polish. It’d be stupid not to because it has so many uses. I for one not only use it to make my nails shiny, I also use it to coat the back of my earrings so that they don’t bother my sensitive ears. I’ve also used it to hold in a loose screw in an old pair of glasses. Here are some other uses of clear nail polish I’ve found..






Seal an Envelope - "...Brush a little nail polish along the underside of the flap, seal it, and it won't even open over a teakettle..." (did you know every time you lick a stamp or envelope seal you consume 1/10th a calorie! Save your calories for an ice cream and use nail polish for your mail :) )

Smudgeproof Important Drug Labels - "Reserve the important information on your prescription medicine and other important medicine labels with a coat of clear polish, and they won't be smudged as you grab them after getting your glass of water."


Protect Your Belt Buckle's Shine - "Cover new or just-shined belt buckles with a coat of clear polish. You'll prevent oxidation and guarantee a gleaming first impression."


Paint Shaker Holes to Restrict Salt - "If your favorite saltshaker dispenses a little too generously, paint a few of the holes shut with nail polish..."

• Seal Out Scuffs on Shoes - "On leather shoes, it's the back and toes that really take the brunt of the wear and tear that leaves scratches on the surface...Paint a little clear nail polish on the outside of the back seam and over the toes. Rub the polish in a little to feather out the shine of the polish. After it dries, you'll be a step ahead of those perennial shoe problems 'driver's heel' and 'jump rope toe.'"


Keep Laces from Unraveling - "...Dip the ends in clear nail polish and twist the raveled ends together. Repair laces in the evening so that the polish will dry overnight..."

Make Needle Threading Easier - "...Try dragging the cut thread end through the application brush of nail polish once or twice, and then roll the thread end between your thumb and forefinger. It will dry in a second, and your thread end stays stiff enough to thread in a flash..."  (I'm going to try this one)



Stop a Run in Your Hose - "...you can stop runs permanently and prolong the life of fragile stockings with a dab of clear nail polish. Simply apply polish to each end of a run (no need to remove hose), and let it dry. This invisible fix stops runs, and lasts through many hand launderings."


Stop a Windshield Crack from Spreading - "If you've developed a small crack in your windshield, stop it cold with some clear polish. Working in the shade, brush the crack on both sides of the glass with polish to fill it well. Move the car into the sun so the windshield can dry. You will eventually need to repair your windshield, but this will give you time to shop around for the best estimate."

• Fill Small Nicks on Floors and Glass - "Have the children been playing hockey on your hardwood floors? Fill those little nicks by dabbing them with some clear nail polish. It will dry shiny, so sand the spot gently with some 600-grit sandpaper..."


Keep Chipped Car Paint from Rusting - "If your car suffers small dings and chips, you can keep them from rusting or enlarging by dabbing clear nail polish onto the damaged areas."

*you can also paint the bottom of your shaving cream cans so that they don't leave rust circles in the shower!!


Mend Holes in Window Screens - "You notice a small hole has been poked in your window or door screen. If the hole is no more than about 1/4 inch (6 millimeters) in diameter, you can block the bugs and keep the hole from getting bigger by dabbing on a bit of clear nail polish."

***Readers Digest



There was no real reason for this blog other than to provide some interesting information on clear nail polish. :) I hope you all have a great day! I’m headed to Orlando today, so be looking for another Disney Post SOON!!

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Alice in Wonderland

One day Alice came to a fork in the road and saw a Cheshire cat in a tree. "Which road do I take?" she asked. "Where do you want to go?" was his response. "I don't know," Alice answered. "Then," said the cat, "it doesn't matter." (Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, 1865, Lewis Carroll


I feel a lot like Alice right now. I’m stuck in a place where I have to choose between 2 great schools and it has become more difficult than I ever imagined. I’m positive that I’ll get a great education at both schools so from that perspective it doesn’t matter which school I choose. However, Louisville has offered me a graduate assistantship making it $60,000 cheaper than Gainesville. This makes Louisville much more pleasing to my pocket, but a part of me thinks I’ll be happier at Gainesville...It is a number 6 ranked school, the weather is a lot nicer, and its only 2 hours from Disney...but is all this worth $60,000? I’m not sure.

So where do I want to go? I don’t know. Only God knows where I’ll end up. I wish this decision was an easier one and I wish Cheshire cat had a better answer for me.



Friday, March 18, 2011

Old People

One thing I miss about working at a normal Walgreens is all of the elderly customers. The store I work at now is pretty small as it is practically located on UNC’s campus. There is no parking lot at this store so we don’t get that many elderly customers..They either don’t want to walk or can’t walk which makes sense..when I’m old I don’t want to have to walk to the pharmacy either haha. Anyways...even though we don’t have a parking lot we still get a few and I love it when they come in.


A few weeks back an old man came in looking for his shaving cream, the packaging on his had changed so he asked me to help him look for it so I did. It was a pretty slow day that day so after we found his shaving cream we just sat in the aisle and talked about life for a good 30-45 minutes. Old people love to do this and I love to hear their life story so I listen and then share mine. It makes both of us feel good.

Well this man came in again today, at first I didn’t recognize him because he was all dressed up in his Carolina gear (he is a retired professor from the university) he told me today would probably be the only day I saw him all dressed up because he had just finished having lunch with the chancellor after a morning of golf. (I wish I lived this retired lifestyle...well maybe not the golf part but I could enjoy a good lunch date and day at the spa) Anyways, he said he was coming to find me to help him find his Gatorade because he remembered the customer service and listening ear I provided the last time. He said he needed the Gatorade to drink before and after his routine colonoscopy (a little TMI but he’s fun to talk to regardless). Haha..Today was a little busy so we didn’t get to chat long but he remembered that I was applying to grad school to become a doctor in something unusual and asked me about it. I reminded him it was for audiology and then he remembered right away—I told him I was waitlisted and deciding between two other schools. He congratulated me and wished me the best—hoping for Carolina. This 10 minute conversation made my day. I love customers like him.

Mrs. Dorothy is another elderly customer her comes in on occasion when she’s headed to the post office. This woman makes me laugh, she’s always looking for some wrinkle cream—saying stuff like “enjoy your twenties when you’re 80 like me you get ugly and there is nothing you can do about it.” She likes me to tell her stories about Disney because when she was younger she did some stuff with Broadway and it reminds her about it. Mrs. Dorothy always has something interesting to say.

Not only do I enjoy talking to old people at work but I’ll listen to their stories anywhere. When we go on family vacations I don’t pick the spot at the pool next to the cute boy who I’d like to give my number to but I choose the seat next to the old couple watching their grandkids play in the pool. Old people LOVE to talk about their grandkids..haha its their favorite topic and I like listening.

I also find it entertaining to just watch older couples especially if they are bickering..I remember before my grandmother passed away she’d always do the cooking and my grandpa would do the dishes..My grandpa was a pretty good cook too so sometimes he’d sneak in the kitchen and try to tell her what to do and she’d “yell” at him to get out of the way and as soon as he’d turn his head she’d make a face at him. The face two year olds make at each other when teasing (stuck out tongue and everything). I know I’ll be just like her one day.

I have so many other stories I’d love to share like how my other grandpa went and ate at the soup kitchen once a week (like my grandmother didn’t feed him) just to make friends haha...but this is getting long and drawn out. I think you get the point...I love old people :)

Today was a good day

Monday, March 7, 2011

Little Miss Perfect--Pageantry gone too far

Many of you know that I am a fan of beauty pageants as my sister and I have both competed in them over the years. And if given the opportunity I’d definitely do it again. However, something just doesn’t sit right with me when the announcer to “Little Miss Perfect” pageant advertises the pageant as a competition for excellence through God given beauty. I agree they are competing for excellence but not through God given beauty. National American Miss is a better pageant for God given beauty. In this pageant contestants under the age of 10 aren’t allowed to wear makeup and only model age appropriate attire. “Little Miss Perfect” pageant is more of a competition of talent and who can “wow” the judges the most through creative costuming and routines. It is a glitz pageant. In one episode the judges said the child was cute but didn’t have a chance to win that round because her hair wasn’t cartoon-big...I’m sorry but first off what is cartoon big? Haha and second even if I knew what that meant it isn’t God given beauty its 3 cans of hairspray and a hairpiece. These girls don’t even show their real smiles—most of them wear flippers which are false teeth for children who are missing a few. There is nothing wrong with glitz pageants as long as you understand it is a glitz pageant and no one is perfect.


This isn't my God given beauty but my glitz headshot meant to "wow" the judeges.

I think pageants have helped me boost my confidence and self-esteem but to me it was more of a stage performance than a competition to see who was prettier. I did it just for fun and if I didn’t win my feelings were not hurt and neither were my parents. I can’t stand watching the “Little Miss Perfect” pageant when a parent is screaming at their child because they missed a step or when a child is being forced to compete even when they don’t feel well. Those parents are taking the pageant to another level...a level that is only going to hurt their child’s self esteem rather than boost it. The child is going to think being perfect is the only acceptable way to be when in reality perfect doesn’t even exist.

Don’t get me wrong, I love pageants and if I have a little girl I plan to put her in them but I will make sure she understands a glitz pageant is just for fun. It’s nice to get dressed up and model on stage—it makes you feel like a princess for a weekend. You can also learn a lot from pageantry if it’s done with the right intentions. They can teach you how to present yourself in positive ways—a warm smile, nice posture and how to be elegant.