CVS This Week

Okay. I'm not incredibly thrilled about this one either. If you go the Centisible Sawyer webpage, you can find instructions on how to get a $3 off CVS brand items.

There's also Garnier Fructis shampoo to be had for free if you have coupons.

Other than that, I'm not very excited. It's not that the deals aren't good, there's just nothing we really need.

Very Disappointing Jewel List

So, I woke up this morning all excited about starting out the 2009 grocery shopping. I was armed with new coupons and ready for deals. After checking my list from the Grocery Game, it turns out the only thing I am interested in buying is some salsa and a Powerade.

That's not even worth going to the store for!

So, I'm not going. We went to Sam's on NYE and bought a bunch of stuff for the deep freeze. I think this week we'll just use that stuff. We are starting to have a pretty decent stockpile, so we should be more than okay.

I'm just a bit bummed about the lack of Jewel deals.

Quitting Caffeine

I decided to quit drinking caffeine this week. Cold turkey.

Let me first start by saying, there's nothing wrong with drinking caffeine. There are many health benefits to drinking coffee in particular. This was a personal choice based on health factors and the fact that I keep spilling coffee all over my car every morning.

Why cold turkey? Well, I've tried to wean myself off several times, and it just didn't work. I ended up losing track of how much caffeine I'd had, or decide that I was having a bad day and deserved a little extra java. In other words, I was a huge wimp. I had to do an all or nothing.

So, starting last Sunday, no caffeine. Here are some of the lovely symptoms I've experienced:

1. Headaches, headaches, headaches. Especially in the first two days.


2. Feeling really spacey.


3. Sleeping a lot.


4. A weird pain in my lower lower back. I think it might be constipation. Sorry for TMI.

Here are some of the benefits I've experienced:

1. I feel really calm now that the headaches are gone.


2. I don't have to worry so much about bad coffee breath.


3. I'm sleeping really well.

Tips for those who want to quit:

1. Drink lots of water. Let it be your substitute beverage. Put some lemon in it if you don't like water.


2. Let yourself rest. Go ahead and take extra naps. Your body will be really freaked out and could use the extra time to recover.


3. Try to start your quitting on a day when you know you're not going to have to go to work for a few days. That way you can hang out at home, drink water, take naps and generally detox.

Menu Plan Monday!

Here's our menu plan for this week:

Monday - Toasted Ravioli, Applesauce, Zuchinni, Squash & Corn combo, leftover rice

Tuesday - Spaghetti with Turkey Marinara Sauce, Texas Toast

Wednesday - Turkey Sausage, broccoli

Thursday - Soup & PB&J sandwiches

Friday - Tortellini

ULTA rocks

Oh. My. Goodness.

Why did I not know about how awesome Ulta is when I was living off of PB&J, but still got my hair colored every three weeks?

I started going to Ulta back in September to get my hair cut. They had a promotion. I felt kind of guilty about it, but I really liked my hairdresser, so I went back again yesterday. It's awesome. This is why:

1. They always seem to be running some kind of a promotion. Yesterday I got a free gloss treatment. It's not something I ever would consider paying for, but it was a nice gesture.
2. You can use your ULTA card to rack up points. They points then get you free stuff. I just got a catalog in the mail from them that said I can go to the store and pick out something free from their list. Sweet!
3. They gave me a free clutch filled with Redken hair products yesterday. For free.

Why did I ever go anywhere else?

Cracked Heels Solution on Oprah

This is what Paula Begoun recommended on the Oprah Winfrey Show's episode on beauty. Do this routine before bed to cure cracked heels:

1. Use Stridex pads to wipe down your heels. The acid in the pads helps to exfoliate the skin on your heels.
2. Put on a rich moisturizer like Eucerin, cocoa butter, or Vaseline.
3. Put on a pair of socks.
4. Go to sleep!
   

Gosh, I sure hope this works!

Click here to see more products that were recommended on the show.

Paula Begoun's Recommendations on Oprah

I've had a few requests for a more-detailed list of inexpensive beauty products recommended by Paula Begoun on the Oprah Winfrey Show. (Click here to see my previous post) Here's what Paula recommended:

1. Cleansers - need to be gentle!
1. CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser - $12.00
2. Olay Foaming Face Wash - $7.00
2. Exfoliant - important for all skin types
1. Alpha Hydrox Enhanced Lotion - $12.00
3. Moisturizers - ingredients are important
1. Olay Regenerist Lotion - $19.00
2. Clinique Moisture In Control - $38.00
3. Bobbi Brown Intensive Skin Supplement - $60.00
4. Lips - put these balms on right before bed to treat dry lips
   
1. Prescriptives Lip Specialist - $15.00
2. Neutrogena Lip Nutrition - $7.59
3. Loreal Bare Naturale - $9.95
5. Hair Styling Tools - help minimize damage
1. Citre Shine Serum - $6.99
2. got2b Crazy Sleek - $4.49
3. Wet2Straight Flat Iron - $27.99
4. Revlon Tourmaline Ionic 1875 Hair Dryer - $29.99
6. Cracked Heels - click here to see how to use these products!
   
1. Stridex Pads - $5.99
2. Eucerin - $13.72
3. Cocoa Butter - $2.15
4. Vaseline $1.82

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