Right time to buy? Monthly bargains...

According to an article by Kathryn Cavanan in USA Today, Friday, September 4th, there really are seasonal bargains. I was just wondering when the best time to buy a lawn mower was and her article was placed on my desk.

There has always been a myth that bargains can run seasonally and I believed in some, like baking ingredients are always on sale around Thanksgiving. So I stock up like many others do and cringed in March when I need to restock.

In her article, Plan purchases a year out to get bargains, Kathryn lists out the bargains month by month during the year. Some may seem straight forward, but others are a welcomed surprise. Read her article here and see if an item on your list might be cheaper if you wait a month or two.

September is the month for these bargains:
• New cars
• Landscaping, plants, trees
• Appliances
• Holiday airfares

Spend a little more money or wait another year for August bargains, which most of us will not need until next spring anyway:
• Patio furniture
• Swing sets
• Beach toys
• Large outdoor toys
• Swimming gear
• School supplies
• Fresh produce
• Coolers
• Barbecue grills

Free Striking Friday - Question of the Day 9/25

Winner drawn 10/2 is Roxy. Congratulations Roxy!


Question of the Day:
How many products are in the Striking Skin Care line?

Prize:
1 free Striking Restorative Moisture Creme, 1oz ($42.00 value!)

Post your answers here or email us at strikingskin@gmail.com. All answers must be posted by 9am Pacific time on Friday, October 2, 2009 in order to qualify. Winners will be randomly selected and then emailed for contact information. Please do not post your address or other contact information to this blog other then your email address.

Striking Product Review - Cool News for Women

Cool News for Women is a blog that focuses on health and life issues important to women. Anita Mahaffrey is the founder of Cool-Jams Pajamas and the writer who blogs about aging, night sweats, menopause and much more.

She has been using Striking Skin Care products for a couple of weeks and really likes the results that she has experienced so far. Read her blog post to learn more about her Striking experience.

Cool News for Women is also running a giveaway for five lucky winners to receive Striking Multi-Peptide Serums from now until October 20th, 2009. Click on Cool Jams Comment Form to enter your information in the form.

http://www.cool-jams.com

Style Secrets for Real Women - Video

Sam Saboura from Extreme Makeover and stylist among celebrites posted a video just today on Style Secrets for Real Women. We stumbled upon it and wanted to share it with our friends in our Striking Community.

A Clean Sweep - Striking Multi-Vitamin Cleanser

I do not like cleansers. Don’t get me wrong, I love the feeling of a clean face. I have eczema, so trying a new cleanser makes me tremble with fear. Worse yet, is that I love foaming cleansers, which are the worst for my sensitive, eczema-prone skin.

When I was asked to try Striking Multi-Vitamin Cleanser, I was nervous. I had just solved a 2 year long eczema breakout on my face by using a foaming baby wash and I wasn’t ready to trigger another flare up. On top of that, it’s a creamy cleanser. Not exactly my favorite because I haven’t ever used a creamy cleanser that left my face feeling clean. So, with major reservations, I tried it and surprisingly enough, I liked it and (bonus!) it didn’t trigger my eczema.

Striking Multi-Vitamin Cleanser is a lightweight creamy cleanser that is really efficient at removing makeup (even eye makeup), dirt and environmental grime from your skin. I’ve had long standing issues with feeling like my face isn’t clean after using a creamy cleanser, but that’s not the case with this cleanser. I use my Clarisonic (more on my love for the Clarisonic later) when I wash my face so that’s probably part of the reason I’m getting over using a creamy cleanser in the first place, but I’ve also noticed that it rinses very thoroughly. I feel clean but not stripped of all moisture.

This cleanser is chock full of age-fighting vitamins A, C and E as well as plant extracts that are rich in vitamins as well. For instance, it contains evening primrose oil which is full of essential fatty acids (vitamin F). EFA’s are excellent for eczema-prone skin. It also contains avocado oil (rich in 20 different vitamins and minerals), carrot extract (vitamin A) and seabuckthorn extract (high in vitamin C which supports the activity of vitamin E). All of these skin-loving vitamins help to fight free-radicals which can attack your skin, mangle your DNA and accelerate skin aging.

My skin feels comfortable and moist after washing and I’m not scrambling to slather on the moisturizer to get rid of that claustrophobic skin-tightening feeling that happens after I insist on using a foaming cleanser. I’ve definitely become a fan.

What cleanser are you using?

Posted by Brigette, contributor

Product Review: Cool Jams – PJ’s that Keep you Cool

I have been trying out a pair of pajamas from Cool-jams for the last week or so. Cool-jams is based in San Diego, California and was founded by Anita Mahaffey. Her idea came to be when on a factory visit to Turkey, she discovered a new micro-fiber fabric that “wicked” moisture away from the body and dried quickly. Combine her experience as a manufacturer of apparel and sleepwear (she sold robes of her own design at Neiman Marcus and other retailers) with this soft, lightweight fabric and suddenly she had a winning idea.

Cool-jams targets women 40+ who suffer from night sweats, a common side effect of menopause. However menopausal women aren’t the only people who suffer from night sweats. This condition also occurs during pregnancy, use of certain medications, thyroid conditions, diabetes, obesity, chemotherapy or sleep apnea. Here’s how it works: Cool-jams uses a special wicking fabric that is similar to athletic clothing to help keep the sweat or moisture off the skin. The moisture is absorbed from the skin into the fabric and then evaporates out the other side, leaving the body comfortable and dry. A dry night’s sleep can also mean a good night’s sleep for someone suffering from night sweats.

When I received my package I was surprised to find a “bonus”: a drawstring bag was included for use when washing to prolong the life of the clothing.

While I typically don’t get night sweats, it has been very warm in the Seattle-area this month and like most Western Washingtonians, I don’t have air conditioning. I’m happy to report that I have been sleeping comfortably when I would normally wake up due to the heat and subsequent sweating. I have been wearing the Savannah night shirt in periwinkle blue (it also comes in peach) and I love it. It has lace edging to make it oh-so-feminine. The fabric is soft and silky so that when I sleep it doesn’t catch on my sheets but instead moves with me. The fabric is definitely keeping my skin dry and helping me rest without waking up due to discomfort. I was pleasantly surprised that the nightshirt came out of the dryer wrinkle-free and also that it didn’t shrink. I also read that it is snag free which is very nice so that it will look newer longer and not become snagged from my rings or from wear.

The website (Cool-jams) is very informative in discussing how the wicking fabric works and why it makes sense. There is a size information chart online to help pick the size that is right for you.

Win a pair of Cool-jams pajamas or night shirt here (http://www.cool-jams.com/cust-care.html). Under Contact click on “Do you want to enter one of our contests?” Fill out the form and in the drop down click on Cool-jams Contests. Post what your favorite pajama or nightshirt is there on the site and winner will be selected randomly.

http://www.cool-jams.com

Free Striking Friday- Question of the Day 9/18/09

Winner drawn 9/25 is Janet Faye. Congratulations Janet!

Answers accepted were: Menopause Awareness Month, Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month and Gynecological Awareness Month.
_________________________________________________

Question of the Day:
What women's health related awareness month is September?

Prize:
1 free Striking Rejuvenating Eye Creme, 0.5oz ($35.00 value!)

Post your answers here or email us at strikingskin@gmail.com. All answers must be posted by 9am Pacific time on Friday, September 25, 2009 in order to qualify. Winners will be randomly selected and then emailed for contact information. Please do not post your address or other contact information to this blog other then your email address.