Today I’m going to do a comparison of two similar products for you.

VS

Both claim to leave your hair with that tousled, zexy, beach wave hair. Who doesn’t want that? I think I’ve mentioned in the past that in my aging years, I have developed very curly hair. Curly that I used to pay for in the 80’s hair! So when it is hot and humid in Texas, I get really lazy and just leave my hair to be it’s natural curly mess instead of spending more time in the hot bathroom with hot rollers or a hot curling iron.

You can find Not Your Mother’s Beach Babe Texturizing Sea Salt Spray at any drugstore or superstore in your area for around $5. It has a coconut smell to it that I personally do not like, but that doesn’t mean you won’t. It left my hair a little sticky, which I did not like, at all.

The Victoria’s Secret Beach Hair Wave Spray is sold only at Victoria’s Secret, for $12. I love this stuff. It smells divine, and sets my cute little curls without leaving them to make crackly noises. Me likey.

So, for me personally, it is worth the price for the Victoria’s Secret, although can you really call $12 for a large spray bottle expensive? Can you? Really?

 PS, for all those who know me personally, my precious hairdresser of over 25 years had to have some emergency surgery, THE DAY OF MY LAST APPOINTMENT! I am about a month or more overdue by now, and today is the day the blonde gets reapplied to my hair! I cannot wait!

One of my favorite shops in Canton when I go to First Monday Trade Days is The Pewter Company. If you aren’t from around these parts, you don’t know that First Monday Trade Days is a huge open flea market that is opened only once a month in Canton, Texas. If you are from around here and have never been to First Monday, you are really missing out on a lot of merchandise. Most of it is new merchandise, so don’t let the term “flea market” fool you!

I always stop in at The Pewter Company because I always find a gift there for an upcoming wedding or anniversary, or more importantly, something for Moi! Pewter is always such a classic gift to give, don’t you agree?

They naturally have lots of pewter items at great prices.

But they carry more than pewter. I’m thrilled they are also online so I can still shop when I can’t get to Canton!

What is this gadget you ask? It is the Robostir and it will keep those soups, sauces and stews from sticking to the bottom of your pans, without you having to stand there and do it, when you could be multi-tasking!

Much like the reason I love my Kitchenaid stand mixer, I love the Robostir because I can be stirring, and chopping and adding to my pot al at the same time!

And for under $6, this is a great gift for your friends who are cooks, or as a stocking stuffer.

From Robostir:

Automatic RoboStir Automatically stirs as you cook. Designed to stir every inch. The silicone feet and orbital turning action ensures no spot is unstirred. Silicone feet withstand temperatures of over 550 degrees F. Scientifically designed, RoboStir employs the power of physics to magically move the silicone feet around the bottom of your pot so nothing sticks and nothing burns. Great for: Gravy Soups Stews Sauces And more! Works with all pots and pans! Features: Non stick stainless steel Aluminum enamel 3 Speed motor Cordless (requires 4 x “AA” batteries NOT included) Safe for non stick Dishwasher safe

A few weeks ago I told you about the Starbucks app, where not only could you keep up with your Starbucks card, menu, and locations, but in addition to the free song downloads they started giving free app downloads. One of those was the 8mm app.

This app allows you to make vintage videos. It offers 10 grainy, discolored, dusted and aged films from different eras – 1920, Noir, 60s, 70s, Sakura, XPro, Siena, Pela, Indigo and Tuscan. You can even import your previously recorded videos to edit into vintage! So cool.

FYI, 8mm was used by Malik Bendjelloul in his Oscar-winning film “Searching for Sugar Man”.

From the developer:

8mm Vintage Camera brings your iPhone and iPod Touch back in time to capture the beauty and magic of old school vintage movies. By mixing and matching films and lenses, you can recreate the atmosphere of those bygone eras with 70 timeless retro looks. Dust & scratches, retro colors, flickering, light leaks, frame jitters – all can be instantly added with a single tap or swipe.

What’s in the camera:

Viewfinder
▶ Total live view of the effects. What you see in the viewfinder is what you record.

Lenses
▶ 7 lenses bundled – Super 8, Clear, Flickering Frame, Spotlight, Light Leak, Color Fringing and Classic.

Jitter Button
▶ Add random up and down displacement of frames to imitate real 8mm projectors.

Sound
▶ Add projector sound for extra authenticity, mute the video to make a silent movie, or use the microphone only – your choice.

Post Processing
▶ Import videos from Photo Albums; Apply and adjust effects while they are playing, like you are filming them for the first time.

FEATURES:
• Record movies with retro effects in real time
• Supports 720P HD video recording on iPhone 4S, iPhone 4, and iPod Touch 4 (iOS 5 required)
• Apply effects to existing videos
• Swap lenses and films at any time
• Trigger frame jitter during recording
• Turn on/off flash on supported devices
• Switch between front and back cameras on supported devices
• Tap to focus and adjust exposure
• Export options: Save to Camera Roll, email, or share on YouTube and Facebook
• Transfer movies quickly to computer via iTunes File Sharing
• Support video geo-tagging when location service is on
• AirPlay enabled

The app is $1.99.  See the benefit of getting the Starbucks app? It was free for me!