While I am not someone who is paranoid about things, there is one thing that used to always concern me: losing my pictures. Though I have never lost any data/pictures due to computer failure, I have always been concerned that something would happen and I would lose all of my work.

A few years ago I discovered Carbonite, and it has delivered such peace of mind! It automatically backs up everything on my computer through the Internet–and I don’t have to do anything! This proved especially helpful when the screen on my laptop died in 2009 and I had to get a new computer. I was able to download Carbonite onto the new computer and it moved everything over for me! This saved me hours (as well as tons of CDs) of valuable time.

I highly recommend Carbonite for data back-up. It’s more reliable and more secure than an external hard-drive and it requires no effort on your part. It’s $55 a year, which is a bargain. AND, if you sign up through this link you and I will both receive a $20 Amazon.com gift card!

I am lactose intolerant. Pretty severely, actually. For years I suffered, even when I did my best to avoid dairy (which is really hard to do because it appears in everything, and this was before the USDA required that allergens be on the labels). Lactaid didn’t work, so I just tried to watch everything I ate.

One day I was browsing the Lactaid area at Walmart in 2007 to see if there were any other products I could try, and I came across this one. I decided to try it, and nervously began incorporating dairy back into my diet.

The verdict: I have been taking it daily for nearly five years and I am symptom-free! I can’t express my appreciation for this product enough, nor can I recommend it enough. For less than $7 a month, I can eat anything and not suffer from stomach pain. Now I have a 3-pack delivered every three months from Amazon, which makes it even more convenient. I feel great, and I have this probiotic to thank. If you are lactose intolerant, please try this product. This company makes a lot of other digestive supplements and I’d assume they all work as well as this one!

I have inherited a tendency toward really dry heels in the summer (thanks, Dad!), and some summers are worse than others. In May, I started to notice that the thick calluses were already developing, much to my dismay. I mentioned this to my Mom one day on the phone, and she said that I “just had to try” this new product they found at Home Depot (of all places to get skin-care products!). So, Brennan and I went that week and I’ve been using it regularly since then.

The product is called “Working Hands” but it works on feet as well. They do make a foot product but I wasn’t able to find that at Home Depot. This product is found in the paint section.

The verdict: IT WORKS. Amazingly. My heels are back to normal after less than a month of using it at night (not even every day, because I forget sometimes). It has no scent and it doesn’t leave your feet greasy at all.

For less than $8, I have saved myself the cracking skin that causes pain!  I highly recommend this if you have dry skin on your hands or feet!