Handsoap Sale

Jumpin' Johosaphat! (Pardon me, I haven't read Anne of Green Gables in years so I'm not entirely positive on that spelling)...

But my favorite handsoap (Aromatherapy) is on sale at

Bath & B0dy Works for 3 BUCKS!!! 3 Bucks. (5 for $15). Normally 6 dollars a piece!! Sale goes until September 4th. Woo-hoo! I need to stock up.

Only I can't right now.

Man. That's such a teaser!

But I thought I'd share that with you. And I'm hopin' I'll be able to get in there by the end of the sale... :)

Rice Dream. What a Dream!

After seeing Sharyn talk about Rice Dream on her blog, Elizabeth mention it and my sister-in-law Peggy was just here for a visit and she uses it for Anders, I decided to pick up a carton. I never even heard of the stuff before! Well, not before the past year anyway. Wow.

Carter's allergic to milk and I suspect other dairy... So, naturally, I don't give him milk. And I worry. I'm a worrier when it comes to calcium, or the lack thereof. I've always been a big milk person. My kid's drink it all the time. The irony here, is that I don't. I barely drink it anymore. I say 'anymore' because I used to guzzle it. There was nothing like an ice cold glass of skim milk on a hot day. I need to work on that again.

Anyway, I'm sidetracking here. So, I bought the Rice Dream, went home, poured it into a cup and masking my tentativeness, handed it to Carter. I stepped back and waited...

He drank it! He can be a little fussy when it comes to new stuff. But he drank it! I was thrilled. Although, the next day, he had one of those messes again. (Out the diaper)! It was not pleasant. I had to wash my sheets again (I had just done so two days before) and toss him in the bath. But I suspect that was from the two (very small) pieces of cheese that I relented and gave to him the same day he tried Rice Dream.

He always asks for "Cheeeeee!!!". That kid would love to eat "Cheeee" 'til the cows come home but he can't. (And, yes. He shouts it at the top of his voice every time). ;) Then, yesterday, I was reading about milk allergies and discovered there is non-dairy cheese. Ok. That sounds all well and fine...but...what's it made from?! Anyone know? I don't want to start feeding him more chemicals and processed unknowns than we already eat. The very stuff that may be causing all of these peculiar food allergies.

But, for now, we'll take the Rice Dream. And calcium!

Juicy

The kids were enjoying some sweet and juicy plums, this afternoon. I had picked them up at Wal-mart for 99 cents a pound. Can't beat that price. I was absolutely amazed at how good they were! :) I'll definitely be getting more.

It's Intuition. (Really).

I'm reading one of the best books I've ever read in my life. Not because it's some great fairytale or that it's full of make-believe but because it's a great self-help book. (And we all know I need all the self-help I can get. ;)

But seriously, it's so good that I want to shout it out to the world. Ok. Not quite that dramatic. But I did want to tell the girls tonight when we went to the beach (pictures later. I promise.) but it never came up. And, well, also because I wanted to finish it and test it out for awhile to see if it really works. But now here I am talking about it!

Are you in suspense yet? ;) It's called Intuitive Eating lent to me by my dear friend Elizabeth. (Thank you!) We all know the concept of eating until we're full and stopping when we are. Well, some of us loose sight of that over the course of our lives. Maybe even most of us.

Waaaay back when (in the spring), I mentioned how I wanted to lose weight. Did I mention that I refuse to diet? And I'm going to explain that because it's not what you think. I refuse because I've never, in my entire life, seen a diet that works. Period.

Now, ok, that sounds so blunt and I know you want to disagree. But hear-me-out. After you're done dieting...then what? How do you keep your weight off...for good? Do you eat rice cakes and vegetable sticks for the rest of your life and feel guilty because you have a piece of chocolate cake? What kind of life is that?! :) I, like most people, prefer to eat healthy but I'd never choose a life of rice cakes and vegetable sticks. I want my chocolate cake too. Ok not cake but say, a chocolate... Chocolate. Yeah. Just chocolate. That sounds good. (Not much of a cake fan).

Anyway, I've never rarely deprived myself of anything. If I crave something, I eat it. I refuse to live this short life and not enjoy food. And now I know you're thinking, "Ok. Jennifer. Maybe that's where the problem is?" But it's not. And I've FINALLY found my justification. I mean, clarification. Or confirmation. Whateverication. Every single anti-dieting reasoning or thought that I've ever had has been confirmed in this book. (That part amazes me).

The book isn't only about losing weight but it's about what they call "making peace with food." And I find that part so profound. We live in a weight-obsessed society. That's not an easy thing if you're not a skinny-minny little size 2. ;) Believe me! I know. (And I don't think it's all that easy for those who cave to that pressure to be skinny either. ;) It's all about losing that I-need-to-be-skinnier, I-need-to-lose-weight, I-need-to-be-someone-else-besides-me, mentality that so many of us possess as a by-product of our weight conscious society. It's all about finding your natural weight. And by golly, that's something I can live with! I've never been "skinny".

Thin?
Yes. But never skinny.

You know, I've got to say that I've always felt confident as a person. I'm not talking egotistical. (I hope I'm not that). I'm talking confident enough in myself to think that no person out there is better or worse than another. We're all equals. But everyone, from time to time has a case of inferiority complex. And with me, I sometimes struggle with the whole self-esteem thing. Since I was a young girl (as early as middle school), I've wanted to lose weight. I look back at pictures of me and think WHY? I was thin! (And I thought I wasn't). You know why...? Because I measured myself against everyone else and many of my sisters and friends were skinny, by nature. I didn't inherit that "nature". ;) But I was thin.

Maybe now I should start saying that I have "curves". Isn't that the polite way to say it? Lol. ;)

Yeah. I have curves. I'm cuuuUUVy. (Snort)! (Yeah. I've got curves in all the wrong places!)

But seriously, I don't want to think about losing weight anymore. I'd like to have that one less worry. And I'm trying my darnedest to put a stop to it. Now there aren't any guarantees that I'll succeed. That I won't succumb to societal thoughts again. But I sure can try. And I'm still reading the book. I'm only about halfway through (I.am.not.a.fast.reader.) but I'm inspired! And I'd love for you to be too.

Do yourself a favor if you've ever thought about losing weight. Or been caught up in the obsession to be skinny. (Who hasn't?!) :) Buy the book. Check it out from the library. Borrow it from a friend. But read it.

Be satisfied that you're at the best weight for YOU, and not by other people's standards. ;) And be happy with YOU.

They also have a website, which I just now discovered. And on a side-note - something I forgot to mention, is that most people who read and follow the guidelines of Intuitive Eating lose weight. And don't get me wrong, it IS about exercising and eating healthy too. Trust me. :) Just read it.

;) And wow. I just wrote a book. Wonder if I could get a publisher?

Get Your Wallflowers!

Bath & Body Works is having a

Wallflowers

sale right now through August 5. The starter kits (only) are 5 dollars!! (Please note: This does not include the refills).

Toy Store

I just stumbled upon a really cool toy store. Hazelnut Kids. They're located in Traverse City, MI, of all places! I was on another blog and came across it. They're having a clearance/moving sale right now. Check it out!!

Clothes

My kids need clothes. I need to go garage sailing. Should it be spelled that way? You do sail through a bunch in one day, right?

The problem is, I wouldn't just spend a few bucks on their new wardrobes. I really have no self-control when it comes to the junk. It's a serious addiction. It wouldn't be so bad if I already had a little buying & selling business going on. But I haven't started that yet!

With the property, they need clothes in a bad way! They only have a few (good) things to wear and if those things get wrecked in the mud or ripped or full of grease, they'll have nothing to wear! Now that the weather has been nice, rain aside, we've been spending a lot more time out there. And I'm too lazy to be doing laundry every day.

I always do the wash on Friday and Saturday. Although, if I wanted to, with my new washer*, which I love, I could do it all in one day. In case anyone's thinking I'm crazy because I do all of my laundry on the weekend (when I could be doing it during the week), I've a very simple, reasonable explanation.

I do that so we have clean clothes for the weekend. ;) Our wardrobe is very limited as I'd rather spend money on junk for the house than clothes. We usually just have the bare essentials, until I hit a jackpot (clothes) garage sale!

*We bought an LG front-loader a year ago. If anyone is in the market for a new washing machine, I'd give it the highest recommendation. I'll never buy anything else after using it. (With all the moving we've done, I've used a lot of different machines, but that's only my humble opinion.) Mine was made especially for the germ-freak in me. It has a sanitary cycle. :) I absolutely love it and dream of owning the matching dryer one day. But it's unjustifiable at the moment, as my used garage sale special has been working just fine!

And because I love my washer so much, I'm very interested in other appliances they make...

Sara and Jon picked up a similar model (w/o said feature) and a matching dryer. A lot of people out here have them and are very happy with them.

TypePad

If anyone is thinking of starting a blog, I'd recommend going through TypePad.

http://www.typepad.com/

It doesn't cost that much. No, it's not free like blogger but it offers a little more. Not to mention it's a tad more sophisticated. (That was Amanda's word choice - but it's true because it does offer more). Lol. I'd like to make the switch myself, eventually.

If you're serious about blogging, I think you'd like it. Check out the website, if you're interested.

To Help a Woman Out! ;)

I figured that Sharyn http://sharyntormanen.typepad.com/ would have some positive feedback. I'm posting her comments here:

"I love typepad. seriously and if you go to typepad via the little icon under my glamour shot on my blog - I get a $10 Amazon gift certificate. LOL It's one of those 2 month promotion thingies or something. But I won't begrudge anyone that doesn't go that way. I just won't share any books with you. hahahahhahaahha"

"oh...and I pay $4.95 a month I think. It's the bare bones plan. and there are all kinds of upgrades.

but I'm frugal."

Toilet Paper

I'm a toilet-paper-snob. I'll admit it! I think everyone should use the softest stuff out there. In my book, it's the one thing worth splurging on. I mean, I don't mind sanding furniture but I sure don't want to be sanding my *katoosh* every time I go to the bathroom, if you know what I mean? ;) So I've always bought Quilted Northern Ultra, that is, until I realized how quickly we moved through a twelve pack in this house! And I'm talkin' the double roll stuff! Especially with four of us using it. Two of which use enough for about six people, I'm sure...but hey, they're still learning.

Anyway, I'm letting you know I've lowered my extremely high toilet-paper standards. ;) And I've started buying Scott Extra Soft. Those twelve rolls last twice as long as the fancy Quilted Northern fluff.

That stuff may be fit for a queen but I'll settle for my Scott Extra Soft and the pennies I'm saving, any day! And for the record, my dear husband wasn't very pleased at first. He hasn't said anything lately. I think he's gotten used to it! Poor guy, was too used to the other fluff!

I'm still waiting on commission for all this "free" advertising I do!

Reminder:

Bath & Body Works sale starts today!

5 dollar Wallflowers!

I just placed a big order of Wallflowers. I think I'm all set for the next YEAR! Lol. You can shop online or in stores. With the gas prices these days I didn't even bat an eye when I had to pay for shipping!

(I'm too frugal - usually I figure I can just pick up stuff rather than order it online and pay for shipping.)

Bath & Body Works

(I've gotta talk to them about that commission...)

The big semi-annual sale starts June 4th!

Wallflowers & Refills are 5 bucks
(WEEKLY SPECIAL! - June 4 - 10 ONLY!)

Also on Sale:

• Glycerin Soaps - 1 buck
• Select Lip Products (Not sure if that includes lip balm??) - 2 bucks (Save up to $4)
• Signature Collection Classic Fragrances (Select ones) - 4 bucks

FIRST TIME EVER: All Signature Collection Creamy Body Wash & Shower Gel - 3 bucks (Save up to $6.50)

Flyer also says select items - up to 75% off!

Bertolli!

Bertolli! (Say that loud and clear with a strong Italian accent).

This one's for all the singles out there...or for someone looking for a quick meal. I discovered this awesome treat one time when Mark was working out of town. I've made it for him and he loves it too.

Bertolli: Shrimp, Asparagus & Penne in a creamy tomato basil sauce. It's very tasty and the easiest meal I've ever made! So take some home today. (Kidding! Just keeping with the advertisement theme.) I don't even like asparagus but it tastes so good here. So, single brothers and sisters (and anyone else), if you like shrimp stuff, you should try this one.

Nature Made Vitamins Coupons

Nature Made Vitamins (www.naturemade.com)

I've gotten two $7.00 coupons from Nature Made Vitamins. Just thought I'd let you know, in case you use these vitamins. All you have to do is log onto their site and enter the code on the side of the bottle. You don't even need to buy very many to get enough points for a coupon. It's totally worth it! Mark thinks I'm such a nerd but I wanted to let you know about it.

Advertisement

In our quest to find good health, we've recently discovered some very delicious juices and smoothies that make for a nice treat.

I'm telling you about them so you can try them too! Sara is the one who told me about them after Doctor James (Gretchen) suggested them to her. You can find them at most grocery stores, in the produce section. They are awesome!! My favorite one, so far, is the Perfectly Protein Vanilla Chai Tea with Soy Protein. I know. I know. You think soy sounds disgusting. So did I...until I tried it. You may not like that one though if you don't like Chai Tea. But I love a good old Iced Vanilla Chai Latte from Starbucks on a hot day so I'm in favor of Chai! I've tried the Berry Boost which was also good. Sara didn't like that one as much. And the C-Boost Tropical Fruit Smoothie is really good too!