Mad Men Season 6 Episode 9 Recap "The Better Half"

Mad Men tonight felt packed with events and I really enjoyed the episode. Shall we get right into it?

Random Thoughts As I Watched the Episode

Ah, the age old question continues, what is better margarine or butter? Hmm...let's get Peggy in here to pick sides in our little tug of war, then blast her out when she doesn't take your side, Don.

For as far as Peggy has come, certain men in the office definitely don't respect her, Peter's comment to Harry asking him if he was suddenly dumber than Peggy. Nice, Pete, real nice.

Megan's whole outfit in her soap scene was ridiculous. A red lace jumpsuit?Ugh, no and that wig is just horrific. 

Peggy's great line -"He's interested in the idea, you're interested in your idea." New Peggy has no qualms about telling Don off and telling him exactly how selfish he is, I keep expecting him to really just insult her like he used to, but he hasn't yet. He just looks at her stunned all the time probably wondering where the heck quivering little Peggy with her peter pan collars and ponytail went....

Oh hello Betty. You are looking fabulous in that yellow outfit, the man coming up to her while she waited reminded me very much of how Henry arrived on the scene hitting on her when she was pregnant with Gene. Betty loves the attention she is getting ahead, and needs an ego boost asking the guy if she looks like she has given birth to three children. For the record Betty- no you do not-but your hair is looking a tad bit on the ridiculous side and probably wouldn't move if you went through a wind tunnel.

Oh yes, Abe. You are ridiculous and dumb. We get it, you are so above everyone else with your morals, that you come off being a complete and utter jerk. Peggy tries to work with him about being stabbed and love her snarky comment about how she was brought to the west side by him.

Megan is in jeans- how far we have come from Betty being fully dressed from dinner- now Megan greets him in a tank top and jeans. Society is moving in a very casual direction. I'm not sure but she may be the first female we've seen on the show wearing jeans. 

I like how they had all the noise from the city in the apartment, the constant sound of the police sirens again noting how dangerous NYC was in 1968.

So Henry is jealous? Nope. just turned on, and he and Betty get it on in the limo. 

Joan may have had the funniest line of the night when Roger told her he was taking his grandson out to the movies and the zoo, "Oh so it's just a regular workday?" 

Couldn't help but think what people would say if Roger ever held Kevin up to his face, like when he put his grandson's face up against his and asked if they looked alike. 

Margaret definitely gave the side eye to Joan.

Eck. Duck and Peter in a room together, an apartment that was solely bought for cheating. The room just got sleazier, can't stand Duck.

Pete's response to a job opening in Witchita, "Anything back here on earth?" haha.

But who knew Duck would have some wisdom in him telling Peter to get his life and family back in order because that is his true source of his confidence. Peter's life is falling apart between moving out of his home and his mother being sick.

Ted is in love with Peggy. Called it. 

Don checking out Betty? Of course, she's not his anymore, he wants his toy back.  

I thought it was actually really cute when Betty was singing the song with Bobby- an actual maternal scene, and not sure if we would have seen it a few years ago with her constant annoyance at her children who she blamed for being stuck. She's in a happier place now, and no longer takes her frustration out on her kids.

As soon  as Don saw Betty acting all maternal I knew they were going to sleep together. Acting like a mother is one of Don's biggest turn ons.  Didn't Megan pretty much seal the deal of an engagement once she was calm about the kids spilling the milkshake. He has such mommy issues (among other things). But overall this was a really cute scene of the three of them together, and possibly one of the only times they have acted like a family unit. 

Back to the office with Pete asking Joan for some help and ending with Peter actually thanking someone (Joan) for their help. Wow, words you don't often hear come out of that mouth without sarcasm.

Traveling back to the camp once more, Don and Betty reminiscence and the differences in their childhood become apparent as Betty went to camps all summer and we know Don was too busy hanging out with hookers at brothels during his childhood.  Talking about your past with an ex is never a good idea-especially memories of making their first child......

Betty is loving the attention, and I'm sure it was very satisfying to her to have the upper hand in this situation, and know that she had one over Megan. She still needs her ego boost- and can't help but ask Don what he thought when he saw her again.

Who knew Betty would have such pearls of wisdom telling Don that she knows she can only have his attention for so long and then saying of Megan, "That poor girl- she doesn't know that loving you is the worst way to your heart." Betty nailed that one on the head.

Don wakes up alone,  and is quickly put in his place when he sees Henry and Betty eating breakfast together. Laughing and talking and having true intimacy, and he just gets to sit by himself in the corner-alone.

Margaret calling Roger to ream him out for taking her son to see Planet  of the Apes and now having nightmares  and when he tells her that Don took Bobby she was quick to snap oh Don Draper- father of the year. This will be Don Draper years from now being blasted by Sally for taking her child someplace inappropriate. 

"We'll probably have to get rid of the dog- he's that afraid of fur!" - Margaret

So Bob Benson is now part of Joan's life. She looks really  happy. Let's hope he's not a creep, she deserves something good after Greg. Of course Roger has to show up and almost ruin it, not sure if Bob bought the whole Roger explanation for him being there.

At first, I felt bad that Peggy stabbed Abe, but then what he said to her in the ride over in the ambulance that her activities were offensive to my every waking moment and that she'll always be the enemy (because she's in advertising) I pretty much hoped she would lean over and stick the knife in deeper.  What a jerk, he obviously didn't have objections to her activities bringing in cash and money to support them.  He only added to being a complete and utter jerk by saying their break up would be a great ending to his article. Good riddance, you are better off without him, Peggy- feel free to cry it out on Stan's beard.

Megan is just hanging out on the balcony in her underwear and her and Don has a semi heart to heart. He doesn't really open up, but who knows, maybe it will be better for a little while. We know Don can't really do long term.

Joan telling Roger that she can't count on him, women in this episode were really opening up and calling out their male counterparts on things. 

I thought for sure Bob was going to go to Peter and say something about Roger and Joan. But he didn't- so does he like Joan? He could have added fuel to that rumor, but instead went in to help Pete with his mother which we know was for selfish reasons, but he made sure to not have Peter get mad about Joan over saying anything. Can't figure that guy out!

Poor Peggy- rejected by Abe and now Ted- if the writers can indulge us in having Don and Betty sleep together again (which wasn't a huge shock) they can indulge us in Peggy and Stan getting together and making it work. 

So that's it folks. What did everyone else think of the episode? Anyone else have that Abraham song stuck in their head????


Clothes That I Want In My Closet

Peggy's cute little white hat. 
Peggy's polka dot dress
Her very fabulous red and white polka dot top 
Joan's purple dress
Megan's hair scarf
Joan's little beach outfit

Goodies Subscription Box May 2013 Review

I went ahead and kept my Goodies subscription. I loved the products last month and thought why not try one more month? My May box arrived on Friday afternoon and I meant to blog about it last night but then we went and discovered Defiance on Syfy and have been watching that in marathon form.

Shall we delve into the products????

California Olive Oil to Go- cute little packets of olive oil, which was nice for a little sample. Curious to try this when I cook later this week, I just thought the little packets were cute. They sell little packets of this too- for all your olive oil needs on the go? Do people have olive oil needs on the go?

Bronco Bobs Mango Chipotle Sauce- haven't tried this in a cooking capacity yet, but tried a small taste when the box arrived. Delicious! This is going to taste amazing when we BBQ this summer. The mango flavor is light but there is a definite kick to it.

Numi Organic Tea Morracan Mint - one small sample of this, but again delicious. It was nice to have while watching old episodes of The Office last night.

Beanitos Chipotle BBQ Black Bean Chips- I am in love with these despite being a tad bit spicy for me. They  are incredible! My husband said their consistency reminded him of Pringles, either way- try them! Amazing! They had incredible flavor.

Kathy's Kitchen Super Seedz Sea Salt Pumpkin Seeds- These were eh. They are gourmet pumpkin seeds, but really tasted no different or any better than just popping them in the oven yourself after carving the pumpkin. Not blow away by these "fancy" pumpkin seeds.

Coconut Water by Zico- As soon as I saw this in the box I know I made a disgusted face. I'm sorry- I just can't get on the whole coconut water bandwagon. I'm sure its very good for you, and there are lots of benefits to drinking  it, but the only thing I can liken it to is swallowing liquid vomit that you are trying to throw up. Does that paint enough of a picture for you? It's disgusting. I did try it again to see if I was being overly dramatic in my memory, but no- disgusting. Gross. We threw it out.

Dorval Trading Blue Raspberry Sour Power Straws- There were two flavors of these straws in the box. We fell in love with them because we are big fans of Sour Patch Kids at this house for our movie candy of choice. These are nice and sour but not overpowering and we liked the flavor.

Dorval Trading Pink Lemonade Sour Power Straws- Again delicious  but was confused why they were included in the box. Most of the products that we have received so far have been more on the natural, organic side and this just seemed like a random inclusion for a snack box that has gone more the healthy route. We did love the snacks, but it just seemed random.

More Free Stuff

Lastly, the box included a snack clip for bags and then a coupon for a free Wholly Guacamole product, I am a huge fan of their products so that was definitely a hit. Overall this box was received with some mixed reviews. Not as fun as the last box in terms of introducing products but still delicious.

What did everyone else think of their Goodies May 2013 Box????

Mad Men Season 6 Episode 8 Recap "The Crash"

Well what can I even say? This was one weird episode, where no doubt people either loved it or hated it. I'm still not even sure how I feel about it at this point, and will no doubt be watching it again. 

Random Thoughts As I Watched the Episode

First thought: Don't kill Ken! Please don't kill Ken.

Phew. Ken is not dead, has a cane right now, but still gets yelled at for not winning over the clients and not doing his job well enough. I suppose if he had died, they would have still thought he didn't give it his all. 

Sylvia "I'm afraid of you." Gee Sylvia you didn't see it early how messed up this guy was? Don gets the shaft, he's not used to things not going his way, he always manages to come out on top. The guy seems to have nine lives. 

Oh damn. Old Betty is back and blonde. I love when Sally told her she had bought that short mini skirt her response was "On what street corner?"

Gleason is dead.

Interesting the first thing Don sees is Peggy comforting Ted. Peggy used to be his go to girl to lift his spirits, sleep on her lap, etc. 

"I  hate how dying makes saints out of everyone."  ouch. But true.

Ken dancing. Priceless.

Peggy nailed it with that dead pan response- "that was very inspiring" to Don's completely BS ramble that was supposed to rally the troops but really showed someone just high out of their mind.

The flashbacks are back. Do we need to see them? We get it- Don has a whore/Madonna obsession. Interesting to note that the prostitute is really the second person to ever be nice to Don- the other being the hobo. He finds comfort in society's outcasts yet works at a job selling the American dream and mainstreaming everyone.

Stan has 666 ideas. Number of the devil and nod to the Inferno from the first episode of the season.

"Does someone love me?" That's everyone's question. Yup Don, it is, you aren't special.

His face when she said it was broken meaning the stethoscope, and he thought she meant his heart.

Megan standing up to Don saying that her plans were just as important as his. Betty never would have pushed back.

This whole episode is so weird. I kept thinking is it a dream? Did it really happen? It reminded me of "The Fog" when Betty gave birth with the dream sequences.

STAN AND PEGGY KISS!!! Yes! She rebuffs him only slightly- "You're lucky I don't like beards." Oh Peggy, no, Stan's beard is AMAZING. Girl you are crazy.

Best advice from Peggy - "You have to let yourself feel. It will get you through things."  Maybe she isn't exactly like Don who has yet to deal with a single thing in his life.

Sally is reading Rosemary's Baby- she is way too young for that book and yet again we see the Devil pop up.

The whole Grandma Ida thing made me think it was a dream, and it made me really nervous and tense the whole time. Is she going to kill the kids? 

Back to the office- Peggy is playing babysitter and having none of it. Ginsberg announces he's wasting his Saturday with lunatics, and that pervy Roger lite (people keep calling him Roger's twin, but John Slattery has no equal and if he did it sure as hell wouldn't be Harry Hamlin)  is watching people have sex. More importantly we find out later, his recently deceased partner's daughter. Perv.

And old Betty is back again, looking fab in Don's apartment as she yells at him and calls him Trash. She's right, those kids should have never been alone. Love how she also managed to throw in his face Henry running for State Senate. 

"Sally seems so grownup but she's really still a kid." Exactly Megan, which is why you don't leave three children alone on a Saturday night in 1968 NYC. Forget the rest of the country, this episode touched upon once again how violent and scary NYC was in the 60's. 1968 being one of it's most volatile years (Mayor Lindsay even noted it was one of the worst years of his political career) from race riots, sanitation riots, teacher riots, etc. Then add in other events that touched the whole country, and 1968 was surely a year when people probably looked at one another and thought is the world going to end? What the hell is wrong with people?

Don called Sally. But first he tells her he's okay (alright I get it he did collapse) but love how its first about him, then checking to make sure his young daughter is okay after being robbed and basically held hostage by an old lady intruder who claimed to be his family.

"Then I realized I don't know anything about you."- out of the mouth of babes. No one knows anything about him Sally, get in line.

Don does take responsibility- well that's some growth.

Haha. Chevy is spelled wrong.

"Every time we get a car this place turns into a whorehouse." - Ouch Don. But true.

Lastly, random side note- the song playing when Don was being taken care of by the prostitute (in the 1930's) was Dream a Little Dream for Me which was  then later covered by the Mamas and the Papas who sang the ending song of this episode ("Words of Love").  So as much as things change, they stay the same?

Clothes That I Want In My Closet

Peggy's pillbox hat- sure its dated by 1968 but its adorable.

Beauty Deal of the Day- Philosophy Products on Zulily

I am in love with Zulily. If you don't know about zulily, its pretty much a TJ Maxx or Marshalls online. They do sales from kids boutiques, brand names for the kitchen, while also selling clothes, accessories, and shoes for women. Each day at 9 AM they open a new set of sales, which will last a few days before closing. You do have to be careful though on the site because sometimes it's just not a good deal, and you could find it cheaper at homegoods or another discount brand store. Know your prices, just like with any sale, it's not always a "sale" price.

I was very excited  to see that they have added a new partnership to their brands: Philosophy Products. Today they are featuring a sale on Philosophy products so head on over to Zulily to check it out.  If you would like to save five dollars on your first purchase: Click here.

I was very wary of Philosophy in the beginning since pretty much all I would see when I was out were the shower gels, mostly in food scents, and as much as I love the smell of eggnog, I don't want to actually smell like I doused myself in eggnog. So I tended to stay away from their products. They seemed to me to be a little bit too tween for my taste.

That is until a friend of mine, said I had to try their face products, and I am so glad that I did.  I was not crazy about Hope in a Jar- everyone says it works wonders but for me I couldn't get over the smell of it. It reeked of pine.

Here are my three favorite products from their skincare line:

Take a Deep Breath Moisturizer

Keep the Peace Moisturizer

Miracle Worker Anti-Aging Lotion


and so there you have it. Your beauty deal of the day.

Beauty on the Cheap- Pond's Cold Cream and Vaseline

The other day at work, one of my coworkers and I were discussing beauty products. She told me that she didn't have a lot of money to spend on beauty supplies but was wondering what products were out there that were on the cheaper side, but of good quality. I decided to start a series of posts where I do write about my favorite cheaper beauty products. Each week I will do one post for Beauty on the Cheap looking at fantastic, cheaper beauty products, stores to shop for them, and homemade remedies.

I thought the perfect way to start this series would be to look at two very classic, very practical, and very cheap beauty products- Pond's Cold Cream and Vaseline.

 Pond's Cold Cream is probably the best face product you can buy for yourself if you are on a budget. First of all, it's very affordable at less than four dollars a bottle, and lasts a long time. You can buy a huge bottle that will last you forever. You don't need much to do the job. It also comes in different varieties, so if you have sensitive or dry skin, then there is a type for you.

My Bachi (grandmother in Polish) SWORE by it, and trust me, she had amazing, beautiful, wrinkle free skin. She used it every single day, and people were always asking her, "Helen, how do you manage to look so young?"

Her response was always, "Pond's cold cream."

I think people thought she was lying, but she had bottles upon bottles of it under her sink (along with Avon Bubble Bath).

When I was younger, I always just thought it was such an old lady cream but in the last few years have embraced this product. As my coworker so aptly said, "There is a reason why some of these products have been around forever."

I use it every night to take off my makeup and to wash my face.  You don't need an extra makeup remover if you are using pond's, it takes it right off while also cleansing your face and leaving it refreshed looking. I never feel like it's drying out my skin before bed, and just really gives you that clean glow. I love it.

Vaseline is also another standard that you should definitely have in your beauty basket. It is VERY cheap, and you can probably have just one huge bottle for the rest of you life. I'm kidding, but seriously, it will last you for a long, long time. I felt growing up we only had one bottle under the sink the whole time I was a child. You can use on your face to prevent dryness, for example I use it around my nose in the winter. It's also great for helping chapped lips if you are in a bind, if you don't have chap stick.

Other uses include helping chapped elbows, removing makeup, use it on your cuticles, help prevent pain while plucking, and you can mix it with your eye shadow for a creamier eye look. Trust me, when it comes to Vaseline, there isn't much that it can't seem to help with when it comes to daily beauty.

My mother used Vaseline growing up, but this is actually something that I have really just recently started using as a recommendation from friends and magazines. Allegedly, Jennifer Aniston uses it every night under her eyes to prevent puffy eyes. People are very much on the fence about this, and go back and forth whether or not this is beneficial or not, but I've been doing this for a few months now and have liked the effects so far. I use it about once a week on my eyes and face, and have to say each morning your face definitely wakes up with a dewy glow. Sorry, I just said dewy glow, but honestly- its the best way to describe it even if it sounds lame like I'm describing some cheesy heroine in a horrible romance novel that has some half dressed fabio like man on the cover.

So there you have it, Pond's Cold Cream and Vaseline. Two products that a must whether you are in need of beauty on the cheap, or just want some solid gold time tested beauty products that won't let you down.

Julep Style Maven Box Review- Classic With a Twist

Welcome Maven!

I will admit- nail polish is not really my thing. I know for some people, they just love it- but I never have been one to worry about my nails or get them done. However, when I see something for FREE you can't help but stop to check it out.

Julep is a monthly subscription service that costs $19.99 a month. Each month you are given three full sized products and the website claims they are valued at up to $50.00. Also included in the box each month may be a small cosmetic surprise as well as twenty percent off on everything in their online store. Awhile back I had gotten a coupon to get a free box, and finally got around to ordering myself one. I figured that if I didn't like what the box had to offer, I could just give it to my mom or sister or aunt or many friends who love doing their nails.

They have a quiz on the site for becoming a style maven, questions about your personal style, shopping, etc and then they formulate which profile fits you. Each month on the 20th, they will email you that month's selection for that particular style profile and you can either opt out or change which box you want simply by logging in. So you're not locked into just getting that one styled box each month. Honestly, I took the quiz a few times before deciding on the box that I liked the most, which for that month was Classic With a Twist.

So shall we check out the box?

My profile style was Classic with a Twist - which according to them meant "an elegant beauty with a timeless  aesthetic, you bring your natural palette to life with sophisticated textures, patterns, and splashes of color." Why yes, Julep, thank you, I do. haha.

samples!

The first thing that I pulled out of the box was actually not a nail polish but an instant warming foot scrub. This actually was a perfect fit for a nail polish box and a nice little surprise. I tried it the other day, and loved it, my feet felt so smooth afterwards! They are on their way to being summer ready.

the brush 

Next up was the mascara, which was kinda odd for a nail polish box. It would make more sense to do foot or hand creams. But free mascara is still free mascara, and this is one great mascara. I tried it tonight when the husband and I went to get frozen yogurt on our mini date and will be ordering this. It's not a heavy mascara, in fact, its quite light, but it would be perfect for day use. The brush does not have thick bristles and  have quite a bit of space between each one, so it separated the lashes nicely, and kept clumping at bay. It accentuated the lashes without looking like a heavily done up eye.

RED

Oh, so there is nail polish in this baby. This was one RED nail polish, a little too red for me. People always seem to think that because I am pale, I can pull off that red, but it was just too much for me. I'm pale, but that vintage red/orange does nothing for me. I have to have more purples and blues in my red tones. My mom will be getting this when she comes to visit in July. She will love it.

pretty fabulous. 

I am in love with this shade. In love with it. It looks like champagne here, but its actually more of a pale pink chiffon color. It's very pretty and elegant and would be perfect for a day or night look. I'm most likely going to save this for a wedding we have this summer. It's stunning.

Okay so actually this was not free or included in this style maven box profile. When you go to check out, they of course try to get you to buy SOMETHING and a pop up came up that had different nail polish shades for three or four dollars. I saw this emerald shade and had to have it. It's actually more of a dark teal with some green in it, but its very fun! I can't wait to wear it this summer with some cute sundresses.

So overall, everything here I was only charged six dollars due to the nail polish that they got me to buy in the end. But how fabulous is that? Mascara, three nail polishes, and a free foot scrub all for six dollars.

I won't be continuing on with my subscription because twenty dollars a month for nail polish for me is just not worth it since I don't wear it enough. But for any nail polish fiends out there, you may want to check it out and let me know what you think!

May 2013 Ipsy Sample Bag Review

So my May bag has arrived! It showed up at the house on Saturday and I was so happy to see that over the top bright pink envelope in my mailbox before heading off into work. I've noticed that this month, Ipsy has started to send out different bags and not just in a nail or lip color.

Let's get right to it!

adorable chevron

First, let's start with the bag. Adorable, right? I love the chevron print, and have noticed that Ipsy has really listened to their customers who have been asking for more fun prints, than just plain solids. Chevron had been another print that people had been requesting on facebook, so it's great that they took their input. The blue and orange look cute together and make for a fun summer bag. Definitely taking this on my trip to Houston next month.

concealer

Yaby Concealer Refill- Okay, saw this and was very excited! I finally got a concealer in an Ipsy bag that I could actually use! A few reviews back when I had been discussing the pros and cons of the various bags, I noted that they never seemed to listen to people's beauty profiles, so I was always getting colors for darker skin tones. Now, I doubt that they started listening, and I'm sure this is more of an amazing fluke, but I'll take it. Adorable little concealer, that will be great for travel. According to their website, the concealer is highly pigmented and vegan friendly. This was valued at $4.95.

a color I can use!

Juice Beauty Reflecting Gloss- I love that Ipsy has teamed up with Juice Beauty since I've been so curious to try their products. This was a full size gloss valued at $15.00 so it paid for the bag in itself. When I first took the color out, I thought that Ipsy had sent me another color that would look horrible on me since it looked quite brown, but its actually quite sheer, and really pretty. I loved how it looked, wasn't sticky, and glided on easily.

More Mirabella!

Mirabella Lip Lustre Lip Liner- More Mirabella! Love Mirabella products, but my wallet does not. In December, Ipsy sent out in their bag a Mirabella primer that is absolutely amazing, so soft and smooth, but expensive at $30.00! So I've been rationing it, and was excited to see another product from their line, and a full size one! This was valued at $18.00 and came in the color "Charming" which looked very orange. I was skeptical at first, but tried the color out with one of my lipsticks and loved it. Glided on really smoothly, easy to apply, and it lasted.

didn't even finish it since I didn't want to waste it.

Zoya Nail Polish- This was another full size, and the color was blu (yes blu). It is a very pretty color, BUT as you can see from the pic above does nothing for my skin. So my friend Crystal will be reaping the benefits of this little number and I told her she can have it, because she can pull off the color much better than I. The value for this was $8.00.

you are of no use to me.

St. Tropez One Night Only Instant Glow Body Lotion- So this will also be another giveaway most likely to my coworker who I gave the tanning sheets to the other day. I have no use or luck with glow lotions and always end up looking splotchy or something in the color wheel of an oompa loompa. This was not a full size but a deluxe sample that valued at around $7.00.


So overall,  I did like this bag, even if I will end up giving away two items, but that's no big deal to me, I'm glad someone will get some use out of it. The total value was this bag was around $52.00 not including the value of the cosmetic bag, so I have to say another great deal when you consider the price tag of $10.00.

What did everyone else think of the May Ipsy Sample Bag?