All the old ones are putting on stretchy pants and cuddling in their couch with a date or cat. Who's with me?!
I'll be at home tonight with two meowing carpets interrupting my movie. Husband is out of town. Although he will be missed greatly and certainly not taken for granted, this is the perfect time to catch up with everything I should've done while he was gone the first half of the week, or just to have some quiet time without having to feed his voracious appetite every two hours. I choose for a bit of both. I just about killed myself with a gluten-free brownie, via Bonefish Grill. The taste: so worth it. The five-finger-death-punch: not worth it. Won't be doing that again (ask me again after another stressful work week). I'm currently remedying the situation with celery juice, a successful new tradition in my home. This tonic has saved a little piece of my comedic life.
Tonight I will do my usual Classical Stretch since I've been surprisingly more flexible and agile lately. I daren't expound on it for fear that this feel-good is a fluke or just the wonders of not having to sustain pain at work for 8 hours tomorrow. But I will also push a small boundary. Small and careful, for I'm known to break my own records and then break my fragile bones.
I'm will face off with the elliptical. A frenemy that I haven't confronted for months. Fifteen minutes. Level One. Versus my ex-45 minutes, level 8, interval climb. The second I feel my ankles or knees complain, I'm down. Off. Try again at another time. I'll keep you updated on how that turns out. It may be that I'm not ready to exert anything and I'm just mentally in a good, but deceptive, place.
Okay! New items I've tried:
Giovanni 50/50 Clarifying Shampoo and Conditioner
Amazing-a! Although not as organic as Kiss My Face Everyday Shampoo. Still safe. This one suds up yummily. Nice and slimy. A little product goes a long way. I can tell the healing of damaged hair is not immediate, but its long lasting. My hair is already thicker. Husband couldn't believe I hadn't blow dried my hair on the first try. Free of sulfates and all that other crap that destroys hair. No parabens, existing in most average shampoos that are known as carcinogenic and estrogenic. So if you want to keep your colored hair looking hued much longer, these are great. Click for the inexpensive link of $4.43 each. I, the idiot, paid $8.99 for each at Whole Foods. You raped me, WF!
Alba Moisturizing Cream Shave - Unscented
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[/caption]I have always used sensitive skin foaming shaving gels and still would get nicks and dry ucky skin. Fail! This shave cream was divine. Unscented was a plus for my recently angry skin. I've been getting hives from who knows what allergy. This left me all silky and touchable and desirable....ask the cats. 5 stars. Again, buy at Vitacost, my dears. WF didn't accost me this time, but Nutrition S'mart mishandled me in Tampa. I spent $5.... $3.75 online. What I spend on gas, I would have saved on time and energy for shipping.
Kiss My Face Summer Liquid Rock
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[/caption]Three thumbs down. I don't know what came over me, but I didn't read the label cautiously as I threw it in the cart. Still cheaper at Vitacost, but somehow I missed the part about it being a roll-on. I saw "liquid rock" and assumed it was a stick. I didn't even know they still made those wet, sloppy rolly-bally majiggers because in my mind, why would consumers keep demanding such a product? Ugh. Unless you're into that slap noise a damp armpit makes, don't try it. At least it smells great, cause now I have to give it use. No giving away THAT personal a toiletry. Next time, I will get the STICK, which was what I was suggested by a friend. No parabens or aluminum, so you don't get cancer in one of the embarrassing body parts. Also, this is a major lymph node site. I know because during the initial stages of detox, this is the first location where I experienced the pain of toxins clearing out. Very strange place to have issues.
Namaste Foods Vanilla Cake Mix - Allergen Free
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[/caption]Worth the risk for cake, but a disappointing outcome. Completely allergen free was the selling point! No histamine ingredients. Not even potatoes which is my personal foe. (I'll explain the potato thing in the near future). Costs about the same at Vitacost compared to both other two health food stores around here. It might have turned out better if I had made a different cake. I'm not sure. But it had a bit of a butt taste. A soapy butt. The baking soda was too prevalent and I had to drown out the funk with pineapple and ice cream. I even had a whole spunky entry ready for you guys called Down in the Dump Cake featuring a jolly mix of happy cake recipe and depression straight-talk; with fabulous step-by-step pictures and all. But it doesn't matter because I burnt the pecans and didn't put the memory card in the camera. Great blogger am I!
Namaste has a great line of flours and mixes for all kinds of baked goods. Anyway, I have some left over and I might try one last experiment with it. It may not be as great as butter and all-purpose wheat flour. But butt cake is better than no cake. I can't believe it's come to that.
Country Life Omega 3.6.9 Ultra Concentrated
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="129" caption="Country Life Omega 3.6.9. Ultra Concentrated"]
[/caption]I could literally kick myself. If I'm too tired, you can take a whack at it. On sale, I paid $26 for these $30 supplements. On Vitacost: $17.30. Never again. As much as I love shampoo and soft legs, this is the most prized find as of yet. With Wolf disease (lupus) and similar conditions, it is common for hair to thin out, fall out, or have trouble receiving nutrients. I'm not sure why or how. As a matter of fact, it was the symptom that lead me to re-test myself for the lab results that would determine my problems. I haven't found a legitimately source that can explain this, not even after a $1,000+ scalp biopsy from a Dermatlogist that was more of a bad comedy than anything else. Hair means 75% percent of a women's appearance and self-confidence. I go through many lengths (unintended pun...yay) to keep it healthy and affixed to my stubborn cranium. A kind knowledgeable floor agent at WF (more so than my doctors) suggested that I exaggeratedly increase my flax oil and seed intake, and all things fishy.
Since its probable I would break bank and die of mercury poison from eating salmon every day, I opted for a good Omega 3.6.9. The previous one I had was a cheapo from Target. It was eh. Better than nothing. But this one, in one week its slowed down the onset of muscle pain, inflammation is manageble, and hair looks more nourished (consider the use of new hair products too). I was even comfortable enough to bust out my 4"ers for a quickie date before Husband had to ship off again. Hindsight is 20/20, so flats would've been smarter; but to even think about sexy over convenience doesn't cross my mind as much as it does a healthy person.
A good combination of the omegas help: cardiovascular, skin, brain, and immune health. It fights inflammation and inflammation is that precursor to ANY and ALL diseases (recent findings that I may talk about in the future). Basically, everything that goes wrong when your body is out of balance. If you've been inexplicably off lately and can no longer blame it on the full moon, try your luck with this. It even helps you lose weight (if you're doing your part) since everything in your blood and other traveling byways are functioning at its maximum. It's greasing the wheels. This could be why I feel so confident that I'm ready to do some pedaling on the cardio monster. If I recommended any one product on here, it would be the Omega supplements. At Vitacost.
BVLGARI - Au the blanc
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[/caption]No. It's not organic and it's not economical. But it was an anniversary gift Husband searched far and wide before being able to find it in his scarce spare time. I don't wear many scents if ever. But this line of fragrant products was in the all-inclusive resort we stayed at in San Jose, Los Cabos, for our honeymoon. I've been lugging around my one left-over miniature body lotion and rationing it out for special occasions. This year, he knew how to win me over. Though it came late, it came with perfect timing after a rough month of aches, pain and mostly frustration. I want to melt in the Pacific Ocean every time I smell it. It takes me back with a longing passion to those perfect days, luxurious service, and natural foods (yes, I found an organic resort!). The nostalgia that quickly became attached to the scent is forever sealed. And no headaches! Bellisimo!
There you have it. The latest review of things that will aid your temple to concentrate on resisting the heavy influx of chemicals coming our way and give you a bit more peace of mind. They are inexpensive, they usually work better for immediate results, and for long-term revitalization.
Next on Stimulating the Economy I shall probably explore a good leave-in conditioner and if enough research is done, a good facial moisturizer. Oh, and homemade cleaning products too. If you are curious about other organic products and you have any particular suggestions or inquiries, I just might experiment as well since the goal here is to transform all my household products to natural anyway. Okay, I'm off to pedal myself back to Cabo. Toodaloo!
P.S. I've already had one reader/friend/fresh newlywed try one of the last products I recommended and her face has already begun to smoothen, cleanse, heal, clear up. And..she found it on sale! I wouldn't lie to you, see?
P.P.S Disclaimer: I'm not a professional. These are not suggestions approved by the FDA, not necessarily expert or doctor recommended, yada, yada, yada. I'm an experimenter healing myself naturally and excited to share the improvements with those in the journey to find wellness as well. Try at your own risk or share the products you've found with the coming readers. Grazie.
