Why do I have a feeling title shots matches as we know them have come to an end—at least temporarily?

Not that I don’t like the idea; as a matter of fact, whoever came up with it is getting very large kudos from me right now.  I don’t think I’ve seen anything that has piqued my interest in watching these matches since…..well, honestly, I can’t even remember.

When Raw announced Monday night that there would be a scramble for the World Heavyweight Title, it grabbed my interest immediately.  What better reason to order Unforgiven, right?

And if that isn’t enough, Smackdown is also having their own scramble. Nothing like making an already good thing even better.

I pretty much had a general idea who would be in the Raw match, but the Smackdown one came off as a bit of a surprise, bringing several of these guys out of what appeared to be practically nowhere.

But could the possibility exist that the likes of Kendrick, Benjamin or MVP could walk away with the top title of their brand at some point?

And think about it; “The Gold Standard” and THE Kendrick in a World Title match on a PPV.  These were actually the LAST two people I thought would actually be part of such a major event, even though both are getting decent pushes at the moment.

Could a current US Champion take it all? On the other hand, could a 184 pound, record-holding former tag champion really be in the title picture himself?

I’ve seen stranger things happen and figure if guys like Mysterio could snap up the WHC in his day, anything is possible.

Just when we fans think things are getting predictable, all of the sudden, we are thrown a curve ball, and though there’s going to be a lot of naysayer types out there wondering what the hell these guys are doing getting this opportunity, I for one give Creative the two thumbs up.

Maybe the “sudden pushes” of specific talent is too soon and they “aren’t really ready” for a major title shot in some of our eyes, but apparently someone in the higher end of the decision-making totem pole thinks otherwise.

Nevertheless, the popular belief seems to be leaning toward  Jeff Hardy or MVP to win. I wouldn’t be complaining there either; both superstars have potential and could do the title justice.  As for the Raw side, Punk could either retain or we may be thrown yet another shocker.

In any event, both scrambles should be interesting, especially with some of the undercard men involved.

I’m definitely ordering this pay per view; if nothing else interests me, the title scrambles alone certainly have my attention. Stay tuned!

Hello all!  We had such a great weekend with our families that we really had to catch up on work Mon/Tues, but it was so worth it!!  Miguel's Dad remains at home and Lorena's Mom is doing much better.  We both realized we NEED to win so bad!!  We want the perfect wedding for our parents just as much as for us :)  We can only dream of how happy they would be for us. Please go to our website and vote for us when the time comes...

Do you have dry skin all year round? Or maybe you just have a few dry spots? It's more common then you think. Some people, like myself, have dry hands all year round. Whether the skin on your face, hands, or elbows tend to be dry, the solution is the same - Moisturize! I know what you're thinking - "That's obvious!" What you might not know though is that you are constantly drying out your skin! Using a moisturizer isn't enough. Think about your daily regimen. What do you do first thing in the morning? Then compare it with the steps that I'm about to walk you through and you'll see that you are likely unintentionally drying out your skin.

Face:

1. Start with the right water temperature. If you've been reading my previous blog posts then you already know that hot water helps eliminate oils. So logically speaking, someone with dry skin should use cold or lukewarm water. In this step, you will just need to wet your face - That's it.
2. Next, prep your skin. Each and every time you touch water to your skin you are drying it out. That is why you need to protect it and prepare it. You can either exfoliate with an oil based gentle exfoliating scrub or massage a pre-wash oil into your skin. I would recommend using a pre-wash oil in the morning and an exfoliating scrub in the evening. You might be thinking "...isn't oil bad for my skin?" The answer is NO. While some oils can clog pores, the oils used in cosmetics and high quality beauty products do not. In fact, nothing could be better for your skin! The oil in the scrubs and pre-wash oil mixtures will moisturize your skin, rejuvenate it, and form a protective barrier. It will breakdown the dirt and impurities before you ever apply a soap so that you need to wash your face less. Exfoliating at night will help remove dead skin cells, and will give your skin all night to replenish any oils you might have stripped while exfoliating. Be careful though - DO NOT OVER SCRUB. You can't scrub away your dry skin to reveal a different kind of skin hidden below. All you are trying to do when you exfoliate is remove a few dead skin cells.
3. Now it's time to wash. Make sure that you pick a moisturizing and natural soap. The best soaps for your skin type will be glycerin based soaps. Glycerin is naturally moisturizing and will be gentle enough for your skin type. Many soaps currently on the market have a lot of the glycerin produced during the soap making process removed so that they can resell it. They then replace the removed glycerin with a synthetic substitute. What does this mean for you? Many commercial soaps are actually detergents and are very drying. So, stick to natural soaps containing glycerin. You can also look for soaps with Aloe, Vitamin E, or Shea butter in them as an added moisturizer.
4. Finally - Moisturize! Pick a good and simple moisturizer. If the ingredients list contains more then 10 ingredients then chances are that it isn't what you're looking for. Pick one that has a lot of oils like Olive Oil, Avocado Oil, Almond Oil, Aloe, Vitamin E etc. Make sure that you really massage the moisturizer into your skin paying close attention to your cheeks, neck, and any other severe dry spots that you might have. When it comes to the skin on your face, you don't need a thick and heavy moisturizer for it to work either. What it contains is more important then the thickness of it when it comes to your face.
5. Repeat! Make sure to do this twice a day (morning & night). You can also apply a moisturizer throughout the day if necessary.

Body & Hands:

The process for dry body parts such as hands, knees, and elbows are very similar.

1. Water. When washing your hands, use cold water if you can. When taking a shower though, this can be a bit tougher. In this case, I would recommend limiting hot shows and taking only warm baths. The hotter the water, the more drying it will likely be. You can also incorporate little bath goodies to help make your bath more moisturizing, but that's a top for another entry! Contact me at Rachel@athenasolivetree.com if you want suggestions.
2. Prep. Unless you have very severe dry skin on your body that cracks and turns red, you likely don't need to use a pre-wash oil. Just make sure to exfoliate regularly with an oil based scrub. I like sugar based scrubs because they are natural, dissolve slowly, and contain glycolic acid (think of it as a micro scrubber!). You don't need to exfoliate everywhere - just the driest parts. When it comes to your hands, I recommend still using a pre-wash oil if you have severely cracked skin. Use the pre-wash oil as if it were a cream cleanser. Then use only a small amount of soap afterwards to remove the oil - but very, very little soap.
3. Wash. Follow the same guidelines as for your face above. Pick a moisturizing oil and glycerin based soap.
4. Moisturize. When it comes to moisturizing the rest of your body, you have a few more choices. You can go with a lotion, cream, or body butter. I like body butters best though because they are usually the thickest. Mango, Cocoa, and Shea butters are my favorite.

So let's recap. If you have dry skin the key is to use cold-warm water, exfoliate and protect your skin, wash with moisturizing soaps, and always moisturize. If you think that you have a unique case or you have a combination like dry and acne prone skin or dry and sensitive skin, you can always contact me directly for advice or ideas at Rachel@athenasolivvetree.com. Thanks for reading!

Products I Recommend:

The Dry Skin Set
Pre-Wash Oil
Face & Body Scrub
Vitamin E Soap Bar
Milk & Honey Soap Bar
Aloe Soap Bar
Almond Honey Soap Bar
Apricot Scrub Soap Bar
Light Moisturizer

Over the years I have met many people who say that they have very oily skin - but do they really? Most people who think that they have oily skin really have combination skin. If your skin gets oily hours after washing it or get oily only around the T-Zone area, then you don't have severe oily skin. That doesn't mean that you can't learn something from this post too though!

People with very oily skin tend to have thick, dull, and acne prone skin. The good news, though, is that oily skin ages much slower then normal skin!

If you think that you have oily skin (severe or moderate), then you should make sure to do the following:

• Resist the urge to wash your skin more than 2 or 3 times a day.
• Don't use overly harsh products on your skin that claim to control oil. They will likely just damage your skin.
• Always, always, always use a very light moisturizer.
• Use an oil based soap. This means that you should use a natural soap rather than a detergent (which is what most mainstream soaps really are).
• Lastly, use warm water. The hotter the better so long as it doesn't feel like it's scorching.

I am sure that many of the above steps sound odd. If you have oily skin, then why would you want to put oil on your face? If you skin is oily, then why would you need a moisturizer? etc. The answer is simple. Your skin is oily because it produces too much oil and it isn't balanced. You need to return your skin to a balanced state. Your skin naturally tries to stay balanced, but you need the right products to help it achieve that. If you use a product that over dries your skin and strips it of it's oils, then it will naturally start producing more oil in an attempt to restore the balance.

The goal should be to breakdown and remove excess oil, not all oil. To remove oil you need oil. Some oils, such as those used in respectable skincare and cosmetic brands, are not harmful to your skin. They will help dissolve unwanted excess oil so that they can be washed away. Using an oil soap and hot water helps breakdown excess oil.

You also want to make sure that you use a moisturizer for the same reason. You need to restore a balance and in a way - train your skin. By using a moisturizer after washing your skin, you are removing excess oil, cleansing, and moisturizing it, which will balance out your skin. It may take a few weeks before you see results, but you will.

People with oily skin have a tendency to "over do it" with products. They use harsh soaps, oil controlling serums, or over wash their face. This strips the skin of necessary oils and can damage it (and cause your skin to start producing even more oil). The excess oil your skin produces, and the potential damage you migth be casuing, is the reason why people like you with oily skin tend to breakout. Once your skin returns to a balanced state that should stop.

So here is what I recommend you try:

• Find a natural oil based soap that won't clog pores. It can be a mild anti-acne soap, exfoliating soap or scrub, or a clay based soap. Stay away from anything that is too harsh though.
• Find a very light moisturizer that absorbs quickly into the skin.
• Carry around lotion-free tissues. You can use these during the day to pat your skin and remove excess oil without having to wash your face and strip it off too much oil.
• When you wash your face you should really massage the soap into your skin (at least 1 minute), and then rinse off with a lot of warm/hot water. Splash your face 10-20 times with the water to make sure that you really removed all of the soap.
• Wash your face only twice a day for 2-4 weeks. You can increase it after 4 weeks to 3 times a week, if really necessary.
• Use a clay based mask once a week if you have acne breakouts. Then reduce this to once every other week once your notice fewer breakouts. This will help remove impurities and excess oil.
• Use cotton pillow cases and change them at least once a week.

If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to email me at rachel@athenasolivetree.com. I'm always happy to help and answer questions.

Products I recommend for Oily Skin:

• French Green Clay and Sea Mud Clay Masks
• French Green Clay Soap
• Tea Tree Oil Soap
• Light Moisturizer
• Face & Body Scrub

If you're like most of my customers, then you have sensitive skin. That can mean many different things depending on how you define "sensitive". Here's how most people define it:

• Skin gets dry and tight
• Skin gets blotchy
• Skin gets itchy
• Skin breaks out

Now, it's important to note that these symptoms also overlap with other skin "problems". Truth is that these aren't really problems. If you think you have sensitive skin, then you are probably just using the wrong skin care products. You might be reacting to chemicals in the products you use, you might be using products meant to treat a problem that you don't really have, or maybe you just change products so often or use so many different types of products, and your skin never has a chance to adjust. If you find the right products for your skin and give your skin the time to get used to it, chances are that you will forget that you ever had "sensitive skin".

So here's my advice: Switch to 100% natural products. Be careful when looking for natural products though. Just because something is listed as "good for sensitive skin" or contains a natural product, doesn't mean that it is natural or fragrance free. You want to make sure that the products you choose are free of fragrances, preservatives, colorants, and essential oils. (I'll cover essential oils another day but they are STRONG. You don't want to mess with those if you have sensitive skin).

Also, try a couple of products over a month or two. When you find one that you like - stick to it. Also use as few products on your skin as possible. The most that you should use on your skin is a pre-wash oil, a gentle soap in the morning, a gentle exfoliating soap in the evening, and a very light moisturizer. That's it! Depending on your specific skin, you may be able to cut out the pre-wash oil and one of the soaps.

If you find that your skin tends to get tight or dry, then you are going to want to find a pre-wash oil on your skin before washing it. This is because it will form a barrier and help prevent your soap from stripping much needed oils. It will also help breakup makeup and dirt before you wash your face. This means that you won't need to lather as much or leave the soap on your face as much.

If you tend to break out when using the wrong products, then chances are that you are using too strong of a product. Stay away from products that say that they get rid of acne. Stay away from salicylic acid and benzoil peroxide (they are too strong and not natural). Also, stay away from Tea Tree oil which is a natural essential oil but will likely be too strong for you. Stick to products that have oatmeal, milk, and or honey in them. They are natural and mild cleansers that will clean your skin really well, but won't aggravate it and cause you to break out.

If you have sensitive skin and have some questions, you can email me at rachel@athenasolivetree.com. I'd be happy to help you!

Recommended Products:

Pre-Wash Oil - A mix of oils to cleanse, moisturize, and protect your skin.
Honey Oatmeal Soap Bar - A great gentle exfoliating and cleansing bar.
Milk & Honey Soap - The most gentle soap you'll ever find!
Spiced Oatmeal Soap - Try this one if you are looking for a naturally scented bar!
Mild Oatmeal Soap - The most gentle exfoliating soap bar you will ever find!
Sample Set of Soaps for Sensitive Skin - This set includes 4 soaps from the above list. It's a great deal and is perfect if you don't know which you would like to try first.

All products can be found at www.athenasolivetree.com

Full coverage of UK Politics
Back in May, I wrote on my blog that London Mayor Boris Johnson's double act with his hired-gun industrialist Tim Parker wouldn't last.


The honeymoon is now over for Boris Johnson and Tim Parker 

Little did I realise quite how right I would be - I had thought the pair might make it through a summer honeymoon at least. But news comes that Parker has stepped down before even the August Bank Holiday. I suppose if something isn't working, it's best to quit in August when there's no one much about to notice.

Well, it's all over now. Little more than a holiday romance. The official line running from Boris Towers is that the job was too political for an unelected individual. But when did being unelected ever stop Tories from appointing powerful business people to top political posts? The privatising Lord Young, secretary of state for trade and industry in the Eighties, is just one example.

No, I suspect the shrewd Parker rumbled Johnson early on. I said at his appointment in May that Parker was no drone. Still less does he play Cinderella.

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Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip.

How did the rumor get started about LL Cool J getting a  divorce from his wife Simone? Well I think it had something to do with him not wearing his wedding band.  For those of you interested, Todd Smith himself spoke out on the nasty rumor:

"I promise you, I'm not breaking up.  Kill that rumor. I'm getting [my wedding band] hooked up.  She's gonna get hers upgraded, too."

The couple has been  married 14 years.  LL's album Exit 13 will be in stores Sept.9th.

Celtics basketball star Ray Allen tied the knot with longtime girlfriend Shannon Walker this past weekend.  Congrats!!

It's a wrap for G-Fab couple Fantasia and Young Dro.  She was allegedly in the club making the DJ announce that she was SINGLE and LOOKING for  A MAN!! Wow. What happened to Dro? Oh well, he won't be getting anybody as popular as Tasia for a minute.  Maybe now he'll put out another song or something.

Celeb Bdays***August 20, 2008

KRS-One (43)

Al Roker (54)

Connie Chung (62)

Isaac Hayes would have been 66 today.

Don King (77)

One of my new favorite sites is kissingsuzykolber.com.  Here they chronicle a recent ESPN.com poll where Ravens fans were asked to vote for the best player in franchise history.  And the winner is......Matt Stover!!

anyone know of or want to start a Wrestling Fantasy League? Direct me in the way i should go please!!! this would be so fun.

Danni

    So I am not the only one who loves women's Beach Volleyball!  I can't say that I have seen eye-to-eye with the President on a lot of things, but.....(t)......sorry, I think I forgot the other "t". 

WWE Summerslam was a huge success for the Undertaker because he sent the Ultimate opportunist Edge in his rightful place in life, in Hell after a massive chokeslam through the ring and after it ignited with flames and blew  up! I think that Edge bit off more than he could ever chew because he should have thought about what he did with Vickie Guerrero's wedding planner instead of his own wife!!!

Apparently, no team claimed Weathers off waivers.  According to MLBtraderumors.com he's a value too.

sorry you guys i been out for a couple of days. but igot some news

SmackDown:
* Vickie comes out and apologizes to the crowd for her thing with Edge to redeem herself. She then announces a WWE Title Scramble for Unforgiven. There will be two qualifying matches for it tonight.

* Maria b. Natalya
- Maria got the win via disqualification. Maryse came out and interfered.

* 10 Man Battle Royal
Winner earns a spot in the WWE Title Scramble at Unforgiven
- Brian Kendrick won the match which earned him a spot in the scramble. Some of the participants were: Big Show, Super Crazy, Curt Hawkins, Zack Ryder, Jimmy Wang Yang, and Vladimir Kozlov. Big Show cleaned house, but Kendrick ended up with the win.

* MVP b. Festus
- MVP got the win via countout to earn a spot in the WWE Title Scramble at Unforgiven.

* Shelton Benjamin b. Finlay
- Shelton got the win via pinfall to earn a spot in the WWE Title Scramble at Unforgiven. After the match Mike Knox came down and attacked Finlay.

* Jeff Hardy b. The Great Khali
- Hardy earns a spot in the WWE Title Scramble at Unforgiven. He gets the win via pinfall!

* Triple H comes in the ring and delivers a promo on what he thinks of his opponents for Unforgiven. Kenny Dykstra comes out to interrupt but is quickly pedigreed.

* The Undertaker comes out so Vickie & La Familia can apologize to him. Taker doesn't accept and says he wants Vickie's soul and chases her. He then beats up La Familia.

Dark Main Event:
* Triple H b. The Great Khali in a street fight. He retains the title.

Former Wyoming Cowboy and UC Bearcat