Wisdom Teeth

I went to the dentist back in December for the first time since high school.  The good news was that I didn't have any cavities.  The bad news was that I had four impacted wisdom teeth that needed to be removed as soon as possible.  Even worse was that due to my school schedule and some insurance issues I had to wait 5 months until I was able to get them out.

Waiting for my surgery to begin.

I decided to get them out May 1st.  Since my classes finished the week before and my next classes don't start until May 14th, I decided it was the best time to have them out.  Being the paranoid person that I am I was completely stressed out prior to my surgery.  Thankfully I had an awesome oral surgeon who was very nice and helped put me at ease.  The last thing I remember before the surgery was the nurse putting giving me some of the laughing gas and telling me to take deep breaths.  I remember him walking out of the room, and because I was so loopy, I remember thinking to myself, "Now I know why people do drugs" then I began to giggle in a really creepy way.  The oral surgeon then gave me an IV and that is all I remember before the surgery.

Afterwards I woke up in the recovery room and I was feeling really good.  The radio was on in the room and a Backstreet Boys song came on, so naturally I began to sing... loudly.  Between the drugs and my mouth filled with gauze it sounded terrible.  My mom and the nurses thought I was hilarious though.  In fact, the nurse even turned up the radio for me since I enjoyed so much.  Haha.

I then sang along to the radio the entire way home.   The anesthesia hadn't fully worn off yet and I was in quite the singing mood. I love Lady Antebellum, so I had my mom play one of their songs for me on the drive home. I wasn't aware at the time that I was being filmed.  So now, I present to you my drugged up rendition of their song, "Just a Kiss."







Sadly, the drugs eventually wore off.  Haha.  The first night and morning after were really bad because the painkillers made me nauseous and I couldn't keep anything down.  The oral surgeon prescribed me some medicine to help with the nauseousness and that has helped tremendously.  On the first day I was told that I could only have cold soft foods.  As big as my sweet tooth is (excuse the cheesy joke) I got sick of sweet stuff pretty quickly.  On the second day I was able to start eating some warm foods and found that refried beans and melted cheese (basically the inside of a bean burrito) really hit the spot.  I have also found that coke Icees, and Jello Temptations are awesome soft foods.  I have been keeping ice packs on my face almost constantly and that seems to help with the pain too.
Besides the pain I have found that one of the downsides to having any type of surgery is being stuck in bed.  It gets kind of boring to be stuck in bed all day.  I'm hoping that I will be able to move around a little bit better tomorrow.  On the bright side, I have found that between my husband and my mother I am being well taken care of.  It is so nice to not have to worry about anything because they have taken care of everything for me.
Well, I guess I better go rest some more.  If you have gotten your wisdom teeth out and have any tips or suggestions, I would love to hear from you!  For those of you who may have to get your wisdom teeth out in the future, I will post my own tips and suggestions after I recover.

 

It's been awhile...

Photo Credit

Hello, my lovely readers!

I know it has been forever since I last posted.  Things have been incredibly busy here.  I thought I would give you a post of the major updates, and then post more later.

For starters, the Spring 2012 semester is finally over.  Hooray!  This semester has been incredibly busy.  It seemed like the second half of the semester was much more difficult than the first half.

Second, we moved once again!  One of my mom's neighbors needed a house sitter for the next several months, so we decided to help her out.  The hubby and I are so excited to be in a house instead of an apartment.  It is a blessing to have gotten such a wonderful opportunity!

Yesterday I got my wisdom teeth out.  Not fun.  All four were impacted and doing funky stuff, so all four had to be surgically removed.  This morning I was in terrible pain, but thankfully I have been doing a lot better this afternoon.

This summer is going to be quite busy!  My birthday is coming up in a couple weeks, and then I will also be starting my summer courses.  As much as I am not looking forward to being back in school so quickly, I am excited that there are only two classes left for me to take before my final internship this fall.  I can't believe that my graduation is 7 months away!  While that still seems pretty far off, it looks pretty close when I look back at how long I have been in school.  The month of May will also be filled with many other fun events, such as the wedding of a dear friend of mine.  In June, I will be celebrating my first wedding anniversary!  I can't believe it!  As for the rest of the summer, I plan on getting my tan on and doing more fun summery things.  It is definitely my favorite time of the year!

Well, that is all for now.  Check back tomorrow for a new, more detailed post! :)

Spring Break Adventures: Tarpon Springs

As my spring break comes to a close, I thought I would write a post about one of my adventures this week.  My mother and I decided to take a drive to spend the day in the Sponge Docks in Tarpon Springs, Florida. The town of Tarpon Springs was built around the sponge docks.  Many Greek sponge divers came to Tarpon Springs, and today the town still has a strong Greek influence.  While visiting Tarpon Springs you can sample Greek cuisine from one of the many Greek restaurants, purchase sponges and souvineers, visit the aquarium or the museum, or take a tour of the sponge docks.

Mom and me

Saganaki (flaming cheese)... seriously delish

Bread, Saganaki, Greek salad, and Greek pizza

Sponge boats and sponges

"T-Shirt Outlet
Voted #1 in Tarpon Springs by our mom
Hours
Open: When we are here
Closed: When we are not"

We had a lot of fun shopping and walking around.  One shop had homemade soaps made with goat milk, olive oil, and all-natural ingredients.  The soaps came in a variety of scents.  I chose oatmeal honey, sugared citrus, sandlewood, and blackberry vanilla.  If you would like to check out their soaps and other products, you can visit their website, here.  I also got two new necklaces, two sets of bracelets, and a pair of earrings that match one of the necklaces.

All in all, it was a great day!  If you would like to find out more about Tarpon Springs, click here.

How to Give Yourself the Perfect Pedicure at Home

It's that time of year again!  SPRING BREAK!  Spring break is a sign it is time to break out some of my favorite things... flip flops.  Flip flops are a spring break must have if you are headed to the pool, the beach, or when you are making a quick run to the store for party supplies.  Here in the Sunshine state though, we tend to wear flip flops and sandals almost year round.

After wearing boots and tennis shoes for most of the "winter" (yes, I put it in quotes because in Florida we don't have much of a winter).  I decided that it was time to give myself a pedicure.  The dry weather combined with my love of boots has really taken it's toll on my feel.  They aren't pretty.  So today I decided it was time for a pedicure.  Naturally I don't feel like spending a ton of money for pedicures every week, but with a few supplies I can do my own at home.

Step 1:

Take off any polish that is on your toes.

Step 2:

Clip your toenails.  Clip them straight across and do not round the edges.  Doing so prevents getting ingrown toenails!  If you would like to file your nails, file them the same way (rather than back and forth) as it helps to prevent your nails from breaking.

Step 3:

Add a little bit of cuticle cream if you would like (I used Sally Hansen Healthy Cuticles Now).  Gently, push back cuticles with an orangewood stick.  If you start to push back the skin around your toes... STOP.

Step 4:

Fill up your bathtub or a small bin with warm water.  Let your feet soak in the water for at least 15 minutes (the more dead skin you have on your feet, the longer you'll need to soak them).  Add a few drops of some essential oils (such as peppermint) or bath salts if you would like to.

Step 5:

This is the gross part.  Scrape the dead skin off of your feet focusing on your heels, the balls of your feet, and the sides of your feet.  For this you can use a foot scraper or pumice stone (I use a Ped Egg).  Warning: Do not scrub too hard.  If your skin looks pink stop.  The point is to take off the excess rough skin, but you do need some tough skin left to help protect your feet.  I use the Ped Egg.

Step 6:

Slather on a foot cream.  Put on socks to help the cream to really soak into your feet.  For added hydration, leave your socks on overnight.  I used Gold Bond Ultimate Softening Foot Cream with Shea Butter.

Step 7:

Put on a thin coat of nail polish base.  This helps to protect your nails from being stained by your nail polish, as well as help your polish last longer.  I used Sally Hansen Diamond Strength Diamond Shine Base & Top Coat.  Make sure that you wash all cream off of your nails before applying your base or polish.

Step 8:

Paint your nails with your favorite nail polish.  Use cotton balls to keep your toes from touching each other.

I chose China Glaze nail polish in Re-Fresh Mint.

Step 9:

After your polish dries, add a clear top coat to help your polish last longer.

You're all finished!  Make sure your polish is completely dry before putting on shoes or walking around too much.  If your polish starts to chip, it's time to give yourself another pedicure!

What is your spring polish color?  Do you prefer the DIY yourself approach, or do you visit the salon.

Thank you!

I just wanted to take a moment and say thank you, Dear Reader.

Just over 6 months ago (on August 30, 2011) I created this blog and wrote my first post.  I didn't have any readers at that time, and I wasn't sure that I ever would.  6 months later, I have 8 "official" followers, with many more visitors to my page each week.  In the past month, I have had over 290 visitors to my blog, and close to 1,300 visitors total during the life of my blog.  Okay, so many some of you may be thinking that my numbers aren't all that impressive.  But to me, those numbers are huge considering the amount of time I have been doing this.  Not to mention I almost didn't start a blog in the first place because I was nervous that no one would be interested enough to read what I wrote.

I have had readers from countries all over the world including Russia, the United Kingdom, Italy, Germany, the Ukraine, Australia, the Philippines, Greece, Romania, Turkey, Belgium, Moldova, and many more!  I was shocked that people here in the United States wanted to read my blog, let alone people from other countries. :)

So thank you for coming to "Glass Slippers and Combat Boots" and for reading my posts.  It means so much to me.

If you wouldn't mind sharing, please let me know what you like about my blog.  Because I write on such a variety of topics (yes, many are completely random), I am interested to know what you, the reader, enjoys most.  How did you find my blog?  What are some topics you would like me to write about?  Or, if you have any suggestions, comments, etc, please leave them in the comments.  I would love to hear from you! :)

Thank you again.  XOXO

Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss!

"Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.”

- Dr. Seuss, Happy Birthday to You! 

Dr. Seuss, born as Theodor Seuss Geisel, was born on March 2, 1904.  If he was still alive today, Dr. Seuss would be 108 years old!

Growing up, I loved reading Dr. Seuss books.  In fact, today, I still love reading them.  One of my favorite books has always been Green Eggs and Ham.

I have always loved that Dr. Seuss' books feature rhymes.  When read aloud, they have an almost musical quality to them.  Some books, such as Hop on Pop, or One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish, can help beginning readers to improve their fluency and reading ability.  Other books, such as Horton Hears a Who, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and The Lorax teach valuable lessons like how to treat others.

Guess what?  Even celebrities love Dr. Seuss books!  Check out Tim Tebow reading Green Eggs and Ham...




Awesome, right?  I have always been a Tebow fan, but this makes me like him even more.  See kids, even big football players think reading is cool!

Next, check out Justin Bieber reading The Cat in the Hat.




I think it is really cool that celebrities are taking the time to show kids that reading is cool.  I can't wait to share these videos with my students one day.

Last, I thought I would share my excitement with you about a movie that hits theaters today!  Which movie you ask?  The animated movie based on Dr. Seuss' The Lorax!  The movie stars the voices of Zac Efron, Taylor Swift, Danny DeVito, Ed Helms and Betty White.  If you haven't seen the trailer already, be sure to watch it!




Adorable, right???  Is anyone as excited to see it as I am?

Okay, I think I have shared enough videos for one day.  I hope that you find them entertaining (I know I do). :)

Do you love Dr. Seuss?  Are you celebrating Dr. Seuss' birthday in any special way today?  Do you have any great videos of other celebrities reading Dr. Seuss books?  Please share in the comments below!  I would love to read them. :)

"Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, Nothing is going to get better. It's not." 

- Dr. Seuss, The Lorax

Review: ELF Brushes

Instead of making a separate post for each of the ELF brushes in my collection, I thought I would create one post to review them all.  The ELF line makes all kinds of makeup (ELF = Eyes, Lips, Face) and brushes.  While I am a fan of the ELF eyeshadows, the brushes are only so-so.  On to the reviews...

Brush #1: ELF Blush Brush

2 out of 5 stars

This brush is okay.  The best thing about it was the price ($3 at Target).  The brush is a nice size and fits comfortably in my hand.  The bristles are not as soft as I would have liked and are a little thin.  You can definitely feel that the brush is not very good quality.  I typically use this brush to apply bronzer in the shape of the number 3 on each side of my face.  It doesn't pick up the product that well and I feel like I have to apply more than I would normally have to.  I found that my bronzer discolors the bristles a little bit which is weird considering they are black.

In short, I think this brush would make a good brush to leave in an emergency kit in your car, or a good brush to pick up if you find yourself traveling and you left your best brush at home.

Brush #2: ELF Eyeshadow Brush

4 out of 5 stars

I really love this brush.  Definitely a steal at $1.  I picked this brush up at my local Target.  I am sure there are better eyeshadow brushes out there, but this one definitely surprised me.  The bristles of the brush are short but thick.  It really is the perfect size for applying eye shadow to your lid and brow bone (I will probably buy a separate brush for the crease).  If you are looking for a basic eyeshadow brush on a tight budget, this is the brush for you!

Brush #3: ELF Brow Brush:

3 out of 5 stars

This brush was another $1 bargain.  Once again, it isn't the highest quality, but if it you are on a tight budget (like myself) it is definitely worth the price.  It may not be the best one made, but this brush gets the job done.  I picked up this brush at my local Target.

All in all, I would have to say that the biggest advantage of the ELF brush line is the price.  Most of the ELF brushes that I have seen at Target were priced either $1 or $3 per brush.  While the brand isn't the highest quality, if you are looking to expand your brush collection on a tight budget, I would definitely recommend them.  For the important brushes that are used for more application, such as foundation and blush brushes, I would spend a little more money for a better quality.  But for your minor brushes, such as eyeshadow and eyebrow brushes, ELF makes a decent product.

Interested in reading about more brushes?  Check out my review of the Make Up Forever HD Complexion Starter Kit which included a fabulous kabuki brush here, and check out my review of the Too Faced Sun on the Run kit which included a flatbuki brush here.  For my review of the Sephora Professional #45 brush, please click here.

On a final note, I am not affiliated with ELF or Target in any way.  This review is purely my opinion and was completely honest.  It was not affected by anyone else.  I am not trying to persuade you to purchase any of the products listed.  I try to research my beauty products thoroughly before I purchase them so that I know what to expect before I buy it.  I want to write my own reviews so that I can help others who like to research their purchases too.  I hope that you found this review entertaining and informative.

If you have any questions or comments about my review or the brushes listed, please feel free to leave them in the comments below! :)