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Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated Babushka's Beauty Secrets: Old World Tips for a Glamorous New You in Books
Apr 27, 2018
Rating: 4.5
Ruder's grandmother—Babushka, in Russian—seemed to have an answer for every ailment, and it was always organic and made from things in your kitchen. After years of using her Babushka's beauty secrets on herself and her grandmother's clients, Ruder moved to America and started using the treatments on the women in her salon. Now, studies have proven that the treatments that her grandmother used for decades are just as good or better than the ones in the stores, because they're more concentrated and have less chemicals and more organic material.
The idea behind Babushka's Beauty Secrets is this: Instead of an expensive treatment that is not as concentrated or involves being eaten, getting soaked into the bloodstream, and deposited in the right place, why not just apply the vitamin or the mineral in high concentration directly to where you need it?
Babushka's Beauty Secrets has everything from foot scrubs to facial masks to hair treatments to acne treatments. There are treatments for eyes, lips, hair, hands, feet, and whole body. There are even waxing processes and shaving creams. There are recipes in here aimed for younger pre-teens all the way up.
All the ingredients in Babushka's Beauty Secrets are the ones you'll have in your refrigerator: Milk, eggs, mustard, mayonnaise, avocado, olive oil, etc. In one section of the book, Ruder compares prices of treatments and natural foods: the prices are hundreds of dollars difference, and they work better.
The only thing that bothered me slightly was the vagueness of some of the ingredients. When she says "milk," does it have to be whole milk? fat free? does it make a difference? Milk is an example, but there are other ingredients she mentions that are not specific. With so many chemicals in our food today, is there a specific brand that is best? is there a brand that we need to avoid? there is nothing in the book along these lines. In the long run, I think if it did make a big enough difference she would mention it, but it still raised questions for me.
Some of the specific things that Babushka's Beauty Secrets hits on:
Skin treatments that make your skin glow and look young
eye treatments for dark circles, crows feet, and eyelashes
lip moisturizers and colors
hair treatments for dandruff, dry hair, thin hair, oily hair, every kind of hair etc
feet treatments
treatments for cellulite and sunburns
one ingredient wonders
I was very impressed and surprised by Babushka's Beauty Secrets. Not only did I learn cool recipes, but I know now why each one works the way it does, because the reason you're using it is explained in the recipe. Basically, this book will save you a lot of money and educate you on keeping your body healthy. It's 110% worth the sixteen dollars—because you'll be set for beauty treatments for everything for the rest of your life.
Ruder's grandmother—Babushka, in Russian—seemed to have an answer for every ailment, and it was always organic and made from things in your kitchen. After years of using her Babushka's beauty secrets on herself and her grandmother's clients, Ruder moved to America and started using the treatments on the women in her salon. Now, studies have proven that the treatments that her grandmother used for decades are just as good or better than the ones in the stores, because they're more concentrated and have less chemicals and more organic material.
The idea behind Babushka's Beauty Secrets is this: Instead of an expensive treatment that is not as concentrated or involves being eaten, getting soaked into the bloodstream, and deposited in the right place, why not just apply the vitamin or the mineral in high concentration directly to where you need it?
Babushka's Beauty Secrets has everything from foot scrubs to facial masks to hair treatments to acne treatments. There are treatments for eyes, lips, hair, hands, feet, and whole body. There are even waxing processes and shaving creams. There are recipes in here aimed for younger pre-teens all the way up.
All the ingredients in Babushka's Beauty Secrets are the ones you'll have in your refrigerator: Milk, eggs, mustard, mayonnaise, avocado, olive oil, etc. In one section of the book, Ruder compares prices of treatments and natural foods: the prices are hundreds of dollars difference, and they work better.
The only thing that bothered me slightly was the vagueness of some of the ingredients. When she says "milk," does it have to be whole milk? fat free? does it make a difference? Milk is an example, but there are other ingredients she mentions that are not specific. With so many chemicals in our food today, is there a specific brand that is best? is there a brand that we need to avoid? there is nothing in the book along these lines. In the long run, I think if it did make a big enough difference she would mention it, but it still raised questions for me.
Some of the specific things that Babushka's Beauty Secrets hits on:
Skin treatments that make your skin glow and look young
eye treatments for dark circles, crows feet, and eyelashes
lip moisturizers and colors
hair treatments for dandruff, dry hair, thin hair, oily hair, every kind of hair etc
feet treatments
treatments for cellulite and sunburns
one ingredient wonders
I was very impressed and surprised by Babushka's Beauty Secrets. Not only did I learn cool recipes, but I know now why each one works the way it does, because the reason you're using it is explained in the recipe. Basically, this book will save you a lot of money and educate you on keeping your body healthy. It's 110% worth the sixteen dollars—because you'll be set for beauty treatments for everything for the rest of your life.
Chris Sawin (602 KP) rated Mongol (2008) in Movies
Jun 19, 2019
Mongul tells the story of Temudjin, the boy who grows up and eventually becomes Genghis Khan. At the age of nine, Temudjin's father(Esugei), the khan at the time, shows him how to pick a wife. After doing so, the plan is for them to get married in five years. After Esugei is poisoned however, he dies and the Mongols he was travelling with take matters into their own hands. Pillaging and doing whatever they see fit. Temudjin becomes a slave and sets out to find his brother, Jamukha, who he feels is the only one who can help him. A few years pass. Temudjin, now a man, sets off to claim his wife. He winds up going through a lot of hardships in the process, but what doesn't kill you will only make you stronger. It is said that all Mongols are afraid of thunder, but what if they don't have a place to hide? They become one of the greatest Mongols in history and greatness comes to those who take it.
This movie is shot beautifully. Every shot is filled with vibrant colors and seems to be shot in a unique way. There are quite a few first person perspectives during battle sequences that are quite stunning. Seeing the blood splatter all over the camera is always a plus, in my eyes. The battle scenes are where the film truly shines. The way they're shot make you feel like you're in the middle of it all. The perspective on a lot of the angles during not only the battle sequences, but in the movie as a whole, are impressive in their own right. The music also lends a helping hand in making this movie incredible. While some of it wasn't to my liking, the majority of it fit the film like a glove and only enhanced what was going on in the film and what the characters were going through.
The main reason I checked out this movie was because of Tadanobu Asano. I've mentioned my admiration of his acting in the past, but I had heard that this was possibly the most physical role he ever had. That peaked my interest. Well that and the fact that he was headlining the film. He definitely doesn't disappoint in this and he only seems to impress me more with each film I see that he's involved with.
Mongol may not be as action packed as the trailer leads you to believe. There are a handful of really impressive action scenes, but there's a lot of character development in this as well. The acting is top notch and as I mentioned, the visuals will have your eyes glued to the screen the entire time. I think the last twenty minutes or so make this film worth seeing alone. While it isn't action packed for two hours straight, I like to think that if you're a fan of movies like 300 then you'll probably enjoy this. This is just a bit more story driven.
This movie is shot beautifully. Every shot is filled with vibrant colors and seems to be shot in a unique way. There are quite a few first person perspectives during battle sequences that are quite stunning. Seeing the blood splatter all over the camera is always a plus, in my eyes. The battle scenes are where the film truly shines. The way they're shot make you feel like you're in the middle of it all. The perspective on a lot of the angles during not only the battle sequences, but in the movie as a whole, are impressive in their own right. The music also lends a helping hand in making this movie incredible. While some of it wasn't to my liking, the majority of it fit the film like a glove and only enhanced what was going on in the film and what the characters were going through.
The main reason I checked out this movie was because of Tadanobu Asano. I've mentioned my admiration of his acting in the past, but I had heard that this was possibly the most physical role he ever had. That peaked my interest. Well that and the fact that he was headlining the film. He definitely doesn't disappoint in this and he only seems to impress me more with each film I see that he's involved with.
Mongol may not be as action packed as the trailer leads you to believe. There are a handful of really impressive action scenes, but there's a lot of character development in this as well. The acting is top notch and as I mentioned, the visuals will have your eyes glued to the screen the entire time. I think the last twenty minutes or so make this film worth seeing alone. While it isn't action packed for two hours straight, I like to think that if you're a fan of movies like 300 then you'll probably enjoy this. This is just a bit more story driven.
Chris Sawin (602 KP) rated Sunshine (2007) in Movies
Jun 19, 2019
The sun is dying and the Icarus project is sent in to fix the problem. Robert Capa and the Icarus team go out into space in hopes of re-igniting the sun with a stellar bomb that's equal in mass to Manhattan island. It's been sixteen months since the team first left earth and they're about to enter the blackout zone...a bit earlier than expected. This means they won't be able to send or receive messages back home after they reach this zone. This is only the beginning of their problems as they realize that no matter how prepared they thought they were...things can and will go wrong in phenomenal ways.
I've got to say right off the bat that this is one of my favorite films to come out in recent years. I think it's an almost perfect film. The film had a science advisor and it shows as it's a very intelligent film. The Danny Boyle films I've seen have been good, but I think this one is my favorite thus far. It's another film that is beautifully shot. Every frame is just oozing with vibrant colors and Boyle's style bleeds through in every scene. Cillian Murphy is impressive, as always. He's another actor I feel deserves more credit than he's given as he impresses me more and more as his talent seems to shine that much brighter in each film he's involved with. Chris Evans was the guy who surprised me in this. It's not a role you'd expect to see him in after seeing him in films like Not Another Teen Movie and Fantastic Four. He's in top form though and he fits into this role in ease. This is also one of the few films that I really enjoy the soundtrack, as well. When a soundtrack enhances the movie experience instead of taking away from it, it only makes the film that much better. This is one of those soundtracks.
As great as the film is, it's greatest strength is its biggest flaw. They did have a science advisor and it helps make the film more believable, more intelligent, etc. The things that were changed to add suspense or for whatever reason other than to make the film more believable or as factual as possible make the film seem a little farfetched at times. It's really only a minor nitpick and it doesn't take away from how superb this movie really is.
Sunshine is a film any science fiction or horror fan should see. It's mostly a science fiction film, but the last half or so is pure horror. There's definitely an Event Horizon feel to this film. It's an interesting formula that pays off pretty well in the end. The film looks fantastic as every shot seems to jump off the screen in vibrant color. It's very well written and pretty believable(given the circumstances). The acting is top notch and it's a film I highly recommend to anyone I can.
I've got to say right off the bat that this is one of my favorite films to come out in recent years. I think it's an almost perfect film. The film had a science advisor and it shows as it's a very intelligent film. The Danny Boyle films I've seen have been good, but I think this one is my favorite thus far. It's another film that is beautifully shot. Every frame is just oozing with vibrant colors and Boyle's style bleeds through in every scene. Cillian Murphy is impressive, as always. He's another actor I feel deserves more credit than he's given as he impresses me more and more as his talent seems to shine that much brighter in each film he's involved with. Chris Evans was the guy who surprised me in this. It's not a role you'd expect to see him in after seeing him in films like Not Another Teen Movie and Fantastic Four. He's in top form though and he fits into this role in ease. This is also one of the few films that I really enjoy the soundtrack, as well. When a soundtrack enhances the movie experience instead of taking away from it, it only makes the film that much better. This is one of those soundtracks.
As great as the film is, it's greatest strength is its biggest flaw. They did have a science advisor and it helps make the film more believable, more intelligent, etc. The things that were changed to add suspense or for whatever reason other than to make the film more believable or as factual as possible make the film seem a little farfetched at times. It's really only a minor nitpick and it doesn't take away from how superb this movie really is.
Sunshine is a film any science fiction or horror fan should see. It's mostly a science fiction film, but the last half or so is pure horror. There's definitely an Event Horizon feel to this film. It's an interesting formula that pays off pretty well in the end. The film looks fantastic as every shot seems to jump off the screen in vibrant color. It's very well written and pretty believable(given the circumstances). The acting is top notch and it's a film I highly recommend to anyone I can.
Jessica - Where the Book Ends (15 KP) rated True (True Believers, #1) in Books
Jan 30, 2019
I absolutely adored this book! This is the first book of Erin McCarthy's that I've ever read, and I just loved the whole thing. The characters were real, the plot was believable, and it left me with a renewed sense of hope in love and the human race.
The pace of the story seemed right on track; although, I have to say I felt like it ended too quickly. I wasn't ready for the book to be over, and wanted to know more about what happened with Rory & Tyler. I was pleased to see that there will be another book coming out based on the lives of one of the characters featured in this book.
Rory & Tyler's love didn't feel forced or faked at all which I really enjoyed. McCarthy was able to capture the internal frustration that young women feel in relationships, and showed that sometimes if you often just open your mouth and say how you feel things can turn out for the best!
The supporting characters were phenomenal and believable. Jessica & Kylie seemed like your typical party girl college students, and I just loved the way McCarthy managed to poke and have a little fun with them. I hope that McCarthy will take the opportunity to expand on these characters in her upcoming books.
There were three topics that were covered in this book, and I think they are extremely important and deserve mentioning here. The most obvious one would be teen sex. McCarthy did a great job covering this. I feel like she really showed young girls that it was okay to wait until you were ready and you didn't have to do anything you didn't want to do. I think that Tyler was a great advocate and on several occasions it was obvious that he was worried about the affect that his relationship with Rory would have on her life. I have nothing but praise for the way McCarthy handled this topic. She was able to write about it without making the book a list of dos and don'ts for teens. The second big topic that was addressed was drug use. McCarthy addressed this in two ways first with Tyler's family, and secondly with Jessica (Rory's roommate). She was able to show in both these instances how drug use can affect your life, and the lives of those around you. And, finally another topic that was brought up is bullying (I am saying bullying because I feel that this can encompass both the child abuse and the bullying of Tyler's mom on his younger brother for having Down Syndrome). These are some pretty hefty topics that McCarthy chose to tackle in this book and she pulled if off with flying colors. She was able to address them all with a good amount of importance and tie the story up with a pretty bow at the end. My hats off to you Ms. McCarthy!
The pace of the story seemed right on track; although, I have to say I felt like it ended too quickly. I wasn't ready for the book to be over, and wanted to know more about what happened with Rory & Tyler. I was pleased to see that there will be another book coming out based on the lives of one of the characters featured in this book.
Rory & Tyler's love didn't feel forced or faked at all which I really enjoyed. McCarthy was able to capture the internal frustration that young women feel in relationships, and showed that sometimes if you often just open your mouth and say how you feel things can turn out for the best!
The supporting characters were phenomenal and believable. Jessica & Kylie seemed like your typical party girl college students, and I just loved the way McCarthy managed to poke and have a little fun with them. I hope that McCarthy will take the opportunity to expand on these characters in her upcoming books.
There were three topics that were covered in this book, and I think they are extremely important and deserve mentioning here. The most obvious one would be teen sex. McCarthy did a great job covering this. I feel like she really showed young girls that it was okay to wait until you were ready and you didn't have to do anything you didn't want to do. I think that Tyler was a great advocate and on several occasions it was obvious that he was worried about the affect that his relationship with Rory would have on her life. I have nothing but praise for the way McCarthy handled this topic. She was able to write about it without making the book a list of dos and don'ts for teens. The second big topic that was addressed was drug use. McCarthy addressed this in two ways first with Tyler's family, and secondly with Jessica (Rory's roommate). She was able to show in both these instances how drug use can affect your life, and the lives of those around you. And, finally another topic that was brought up is bullying (I am saying bullying because I feel that this can encompass both the child abuse and the bullying of Tyler's mom on his younger brother for having Down Syndrome). These are some pretty hefty topics that McCarthy chose to tackle in this book and she pulled if off with flying colors. She was able to address them all with a good amount of importance and tie the story up with a pretty bow at the end. My hats off to you Ms. McCarthy!
Phillip McSween (751 KP) rated Pokémon: Detective Pikachu (2019) in Movies
Jul 27, 2019
Don't Try and Make Sense of it and You'll be Just Fine
With the aid of Detective Pikachu (Ryan Reynolds), Tim Goodman (Justice Smith) is on a mission to find out what happened to his missing father.
Acting: 10
Beginning: 6
Characters: 10
You can’t have a movie centered around Pokemon and not have a bevy of characters to behold. Detective Pikachu does not disappoint pushing the envelope of creativity with the number of characters involved. Every Pokemon you can think of shows up in some form or fashion. I was just happy seeing Jiggly Puff get a small bit of shine. Outside of Pikachu himself, I thought the mime Pokemon was a riot. Seeing him and Pikachu together was probably one of my favorite scenes.
Cinematography/Visuals: 9
I was actually pretty impressed with the visuals here. The film takes place over a number of cool settings, including an MMA-style ring with a raging dragon. The colors are vibrant and help bring each Pokemon to life. I appreciate the attention to detail with this movie trying to incorporate as many characters from the game as possible. No corners were cut here as the characters seem to look true to form.
Conflict: 9
Entertainment Value: 8
I dare you to watch this movie and not at least be entertained by some of the parts. Maybe the action could have been spaced out better to prevent lagging, but there was enough there to keep my attention. Between that and Pikachu cracking me up every few minutes, I was surprised by how little of an effort it was to watch this movie.
Memorability: 7
There are a few scenes that are done extremely well while others could have been left out. Probably what stands out the most to me in terms of memorability is here is a movie that was most likely supposed to fail. Yet, director Rob Letterman managed to prove over and over again that the project had legs. It’s not a movie that over saturates you with great moments, but there is enough of a framework to keep you happy.
Pace: 8
Plot: 1
If they had gotten this part right, I’m looking at the movie in a whole different light. The story was all over the place. It was way too jumbled, a hot mess. There is an objective, then there’s a side objective with all these cheats along the way. I finally just said, “Screw it, I’ll enjoy it for what it is. Not going to try and make sense of it.”
Resolution: 10
The ending almost made up for the shoddy plot. It’s cute and touching, very fitting considering the craziness Pikachu and Tim went through for the duration of the story. Happy with how things shook out.
Overall: 78
Sometimes it only takes one thing to keep a movie from greatness. In this case Pokemon: Detective Pikachu couldn’t stop tripping over itself with its awkward storyline. I still recommend it for one good watch.
Acting: 10
Beginning: 6
Characters: 10
You can’t have a movie centered around Pokemon and not have a bevy of characters to behold. Detective Pikachu does not disappoint pushing the envelope of creativity with the number of characters involved. Every Pokemon you can think of shows up in some form or fashion. I was just happy seeing Jiggly Puff get a small bit of shine. Outside of Pikachu himself, I thought the mime Pokemon was a riot. Seeing him and Pikachu together was probably one of my favorite scenes.
Cinematography/Visuals: 9
I was actually pretty impressed with the visuals here. The film takes place over a number of cool settings, including an MMA-style ring with a raging dragon. The colors are vibrant and help bring each Pokemon to life. I appreciate the attention to detail with this movie trying to incorporate as many characters from the game as possible. No corners were cut here as the characters seem to look true to form.
Conflict: 9
Entertainment Value: 8
I dare you to watch this movie and not at least be entertained by some of the parts. Maybe the action could have been spaced out better to prevent lagging, but there was enough there to keep my attention. Between that and Pikachu cracking me up every few minutes, I was surprised by how little of an effort it was to watch this movie.
Memorability: 7
There are a few scenes that are done extremely well while others could have been left out. Probably what stands out the most to me in terms of memorability is here is a movie that was most likely supposed to fail. Yet, director Rob Letterman managed to prove over and over again that the project had legs. It’s not a movie that over saturates you with great moments, but there is enough of a framework to keep you happy.
Pace: 8
Plot: 1
If they had gotten this part right, I’m looking at the movie in a whole different light. The story was all over the place. It was way too jumbled, a hot mess. There is an objective, then there’s a side objective with all these cheats along the way. I finally just said, “Screw it, I’ll enjoy it for what it is. Not going to try and make sense of it.”
Resolution: 10
The ending almost made up for the shoddy plot. It’s cute and touching, very fitting considering the craziness Pikachu and Tim went through for the duration of the story. Happy with how things shook out.
Overall: 78
Sometimes it only takes one thing to keep a movie from greatness. In this case Pokemon: Detective Pikachu couldn’t stop tripping over itself with its awkward storyline. I still recommend it for one good watch.
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