Hello readers! Happy Thursday!
Today, my tummy is not happy. I am in week two of my liver and gallbladder flush. If you are interested in doing it yourself, I will link the original here. It works very, very well.
I have had gallbladder issues for the last five years. My doctor recommended getting my gallbladder taken out, but after doing some research, I decided that I wanted to take a more natural approach. It hasn't been an easy road --truly because I never made any lifestyle changes to go along with this decision. I would cleanse and then turn around and eat fast food the next week. That doesn't work. I had to hit a "rock bottom" before I realized that I was the problem.
That rock bottom was last month, when I was standing in the shower at 2:00 in the morning crying out to God to make the pain go away and begging my husband to take me to the hospital. That was a rough night. But, after the pain finally stopped, I decided that day that I was going to completely give up fast food and was going to start living a more healthy lifestyle. I had no idea that the health of your gallbladder and the liver had so much to do with your overall health, including fertility which has been an issue for us, your energy levels, even your allergies.
Last week, I did my first flush, and got rid of at least 100 stones of all sizes. Josh actually did it with me and he also got rid of a few small ones that we had no idea he even had. Today I have gotten rid of at least 200-300 stones, all small ones. The flush should be done until the stones are the size of sand, of course with some recover time in between. The more you do the flush the deeper into the gallbladder and liver you will cleanse. Since I have done it two weeks in a row, I am planning to give my body a couple weeks to rest before doing it again. My goal is to get my gallbladder and liver completely cleaned out and not let it get backed up again by eating healthy, exercising, and losing weight. It's going to take some work, but I am determined.
I really love this cleanse and definitely recommend it to anyone having issues with their gallbladder and liver. I have felt awesome this week. I have had a lot more energy. I don't feel sick when I eat. I can tell I am able to focus a little more throughout the day. Plus, like five people at work have asked if I have lost weight, so that is an added benefit.
The one thing I will say if you are thinking about doing this cleanse is that the instructions say not to eat after 2:00pm the day you start the flush...DO NOT EAT AFTER 2:00PM THE DAY YOU START THE FLUSH. We followed this rule last week, and felt awesome the second day. I did not follow this rule yesterday and I feel like crap today...hence the gingerale tea.
I am so nauseous today, I cannot even tell you. I ate my last meal around 1:00pm yesterday, but then I got hungry around 4:00pm and decided to make some chips and guacamole for a snack since I didn't start the flush until 10:00pm, but ya, it was a horrible idea.
So back to the tea. This is my go to upset tummy drink. I love ginger, and especially gingerale, but there is just so much sugar in it that I feel it kind of counteracts the benefits. I have a homemade gingerale recipe, that maybe I'll post eventually. It tastes exactly like gingerale, but it takes like an hour to make. I just don't have time for that most days, so this has been my thing.
It is super easy to make. All you need is a green tea bag, a ginger tea bag, and some sparkling water...I like to use lemon. Fill your cup with just enough hot water to cover the tea bags and let them steep. Depending on what type of tea your ginger tea is will determine how long to steep your tea for: black tea takes one minute, green tea takes three minutes, and white tea takes five minutes. If you need a little bit of sweetness, you can add some honey here with the warm water. Once your tea is ready, you can add your sparkling water and stir it all together.
Then BAM!, you have gingerale tea with all the benefits of gingerale minus the sugar. Super, super easy.
You can do this with any ginger tea. My favorite tea to make this with is the Organic Holly Jolly Ginger Aid tea from Traditional Medicinals. It is a holiday tea, so you should be able to start finding it at Sprouts and Whole Foods. I like to get a bunch when it goes on sale at the end of the holiday season. Yogi also has a lemon ginger tea that works really well with this too.
If you have a little more time, you can even slice up some ginger and lemon and add it to a pot of boiling water to make a fresh tea! I did that the other day when Josh wasn't feeling well. That is probably the best way to get all the benefits, but like I said, will take a little more time.
So that is all folks! Josh is working tonight until midnight, and then he and I are going to go set up my new desk at work...they had new cubicles installed today, so I have to move all my stuff over.
I have a few more fun posts scheduled, so I will see you soon!!
Thursday, November 13, 2014
Friday, October 17, 2014
An Almost Free Haul and a Rant About Walmart Price Matching
Good afternoon readers,
Today I have a couple of hauls for you...one of which that was completely free...and at the end of this post, a little bit of a rant about my Walmart price matching experience last night. I'll start with the haul though.
Today I have a couple of hauls for you...one of which that was completely free...and at the end of this post, a little bit of a rant about my Walmart price matching experience last night. I'll start with the haul though.
Dollar General:
Transaction #1
Toothpaste $1.00
Toothpaste $1.00
Toothpaste $1.00
Toothpaste $1.00
= $4.00
-$1/1 coupon (not sure what insert as I purchased online)
Total: $.32 of tax
Transaction #2
Toothpaste $1.00
Toothpaste $1.00
Toothpaste $1.00
Toothpaste $1.00
= $4.00
-$1/1 coupon (not sure what insert as I purchased online)
Total: $.32 of tax
Transaction #3
Toothpaste $1.00
Toothpaste $1.00
Toothpaste $1.00
Toothpaste $1.00
= $4.00
-$1/1 coupon (not sure what insert as I purchased online)
Total: $.32 of tax
Transaction #4
Toothpaste $1.00
Toothpaste $1.00
Toothpaste $1.00
Toothpaste $1.00
= $4.00
-$1/1 coupon (not sure what insert as I purchased online)
Total: $.32 of tax
Total tax paid: $1.60
Walmart:
Transaction #1
Pasta (pm from Smith's) $.99 each x 30 = $29.70
Prego Sauce $1.88 each x 10 = $18.80
Classico Sauce $2.50 each x 2 =$5.00
Newman's Own Sauce $2.50
Barilla Sauce (pm from Smith's) $1.79 each x 10 =$17.90
-ten $1/3 Barilla pasta coupons (not sure what insert as I purchased online)
-ten $.75/1 Barilla sauce coupons (not sure what insert as I purchased online)
-ten $.75/1 Prego sauce coupons
-$.75/2 Classico coupon
-$.75/1 Newman's Own coupon
Total: $42.11 after tax
And now for my rant.
I have been price matching at Walmart for the last five years. I have never had a problem. The morning of the day we go grocery shopping, I sit down with all of the ads to compare prices and make our list. Not only do I write down all of the prices we are matching and where they are from, but I also bring the ads with me even though the ad clearly states that you do not need to show the ads.
I always make sure all of my prices are accurate. I know many people fudge the numbers or make up prices, but we never do! I am always 100% honest. That being said, yesterday was nothing new, I made our list the exact same way.
When we got the register, the cashier said she needed to see all of the prices in the ads before she would ring anything up. Okay. No problem. Even though that is not required per the policy, I know they were all correct so no problem.
The part that I had a problem with was when the cashier started interrogating me, implying that I was making the prices up. If I were making the prices up, why would I be able to show you them in the ads? She compared every single ad to every single item and even brought a manager over to verify everything. She made me feel like a criminal, and I did not appreciate my integrity being questions.
She did find one error, that was completely ridiculous. I was price matching red delicious apples from Mariana's 4lbs for $1. I picked up a bag of red delicious apples. Apparently, in Walmart, they don't price match the red delicious apples but substitute the red gala apples. I matched red delicious to red delicious, but the manager treated us like we were trying to pull a fast one on them! How were we supposed to know that they substitute a different kind of apples? Ok whatever. I sent Josh to get the correct ones. While he was gone, I told the lady to ring up the people behind us because they had been waiting. I stood there at the end of the register to wait for her. As soon as Josh came back, the cashier switched off her light and said "Sorry, I'm closed now." Really? How rude.
I was so frustrated and upset. I don't like to be treated like I am lying especially when I have spent so much time trying to make sure that everything was correct. I'm not going to stop price matching. I'm not going to stop couponing. I'm going to continue to prove that although some people take advantage of the system, there are still some of us that are doing things correctly.
So that is my little rant. Have you ever had issues in price matching?
Monday, October 13, 2014
I couldn't let the $5/3 coupons expire!
Here is today's little haul. I had two more of the $5/3 Tide/Bounce/Downy coupons, and I just couldn't let them expire. As you know, I have PLENTY of Tide, so I used the coupons for some other things we needed. While I was there, I picked up a few other things we needed.
I absolutely LOVE the Windex Touch-Ups and the automatic toilet bowl cleaners! We bought them a few months ago to try, and they are so convenient. For me, life is about convenience lately. At my previous job, I only worked 3-4 days, about 20 hours a week. Now, I am working full time, at least 40 hours a week, which is a big change. I just don't have the kind of time I had before! The first few weeks after I started this job, I tried to keep up the house like I used to, but I just couldn't. I just don't have the time, or the energy for that matter. The only way my house stays clean anymore is by quick cleaning.
The Windex Touch-Ups were for sale for $3.47 each. There was a peelie on the bottle for $.75 off making them $2.72 each. I also found a rebate on Ibotta for $1.50 off, which will make them $1.97 each! That is a 44% savings.
The toilet bowl cleaners were for sale for $1.97, and I bought four. I had a coupon for $1/2 from the 10/7 RP, which made them $1.47 each. This was a 26% savings, which is not as good as I would have hoped as I like to stay around 40% savings, but we actually did need these.
The Bounce bars were for sale for $5.47 for the refill and $5.97 for the other two. I used the $5/3 coupon from the 9/28 PG, which made them $4.13 each. I love these. So much easier than using dryer sheets! This is a 33% savings; again, not as great as I would have liked it to be, but these really don't go on sale that often, and they are something that we use a lot. Plus, I needed to use my coupon lol.
The Downy was on rollback for $3.97 from $4.97. I know we just bought Downy in our last haul, but I like the scented one for doing the sheets and the regular one for clothes. I know, I'm weird. Anyways... I used another of the $5/3 coupons from the 9/28 PG, which made them $2.30 each. This was a 54% savings!
The Soft Scrub was for sale for 1.97, I bought two. I had a coupon for $1/1 from the 10/7 RP. This was a 51% savings. I have never used these before, but I am always looking for easy things to clean the bathroom with, so for a dollar, I'll give it a try!
Finally, the Advil was on rollback for $12.96. I had a $3/1 coupon, again from the 10/7 RP. This made them $9.96, a 24% savings. Again, not to the 40%, but something we needed. Josh likes these the best for when he has migraines. Plus, it came with 20 free pills, so that's a plus!
Oh, and I also purchased an All You magazine.
Alrighty, there is our little haul. Tomorrow, I am headed to the Dollar Tree --well a few Dollar Trees since you can only use four coupons at a time-- to use my $1/1 Advil PM coupons, which will make them absolutely free!! See you tomorrow!!
Saturday, October 11, 2014
Tide and Downy Haul --ENDS TODAY!!
Hello everyone!
I have a very exciting haul for you today! This deal on Tide ends today, so hurry and read this so you can head to the store!!
Josh loves Tide laundry detergent. It's the only one he will use. As you know Tide can be EXPENSIVE! So when there is a good coupon on it, I stock up! Our total out of pocket today was $21.86! A 60% savings! Here is the breakdown:
Food For Less:
Transaction #1
Downy 64oz $2.49
Downy 64oz $2.49
Downy 64oz $2.49
= $7.47
-$5/3 coupon from 9/28 P&G
Total: $3.08 after tax
Transaction #2
Downy 64oz $2.49
Downy 64oz $2.49
Downy 64oz $2.49
= $7.47
-$5/3 coupon from 9/28 P&G
Total: $3.08 after tax
Dollar General:
Transaction #1
Tide Ultra Stain Release $4.95
Tide Ultra Stain Release $4.95
Tide Ultra Stain Release $4.95
Tide Ultra Stain Release $4.95
Tide Ultra Stain Release $4.95
Tide Original $4.95
= $29.70
-$5 off $25 purchase store coupon
-$5/3 coupon from 9/28 P&G
-$2/1 coupon from 9/28 P&G
-$2/1 coupon from 9/28 P&G
Total: $15.70 after tax
The $5 off Dollar General coupon can be pulled up on their website and scanned as a mobile coupon. Both the sale and the $5 off end today! :)
Well, I am headed off to work. What are your plans for this lovely Saturday afternoon?
Saturday, May 3, 2014
Easy Korean Beef Tacos
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXAN5Ivsm5gTF0pSryPVVHAAQKORLfgKGfBxSjJTzrtKsyBq_UI3aSFbaSBLCl1oX0bkqdnL8QjBrEg0UueISpKUAibps6cszt3Mq2xuZJDWGtbAPQB3E5b1T7LxKdgZl1_aUJxWZeHys/s640/PicsArt_1399173898169.jpg)
Tonight we made a super easy supper! I recently discovered the Campbell's Slow Cooker Sauces, and I am in love! As I have mentioned before, the slow cooker is the greatest thing ever invented, and these sauces are the next greatest thing!
Tonight we tried the Korean Beef. The back of the bag suggested using the beef to make Korean Beef Tacos. We tried Korean Beef Tacos once before from a local food truck and really liked them. The recipe suggested using sour cream and cabbage, but Josh doesn't like cabbage so we used shredded lettuce. We also added a little hot sauce and some white rice. Yum! They were so delicious.
Have a wonderful Saturday night!
Tuesday, March 25, 2014
The Boy's Little Area
Hello again!
I am so happy to report that little Binx is feeling so, SO much better today than he was over the weekend! I definitely think that he was a little constipated. The pumpkin worked perfectly and he is back to my normal, playful, silly puppy. Who would have thought that I could actually be excited to hear the squeaking of toys in the middle of the night!
To go along with my puppy posts this week, I thought I would share our newly designed pet area with you!
Our house has this random little wall next to the entrance where the closet of the second bedroom is. It is kind of random and definitely isn't a big enough space for any furniture. So, since we moved in, it has kind of always been the puppy/kitty area. Because it is kind of tucked away, it is the perfect little space to keep food and water bowls. But, since it is kind of in the middle of the room, I wanted to add some decoration to it.
It has taken me forever to decide what I wanted to do. Since this area is the only space of the hallway that we wanted to decorate, unless you count a cat tree as decorations lol, I really wanted it to be in a bright fun color.
I'll start first with the water bowl. We have had this thing since the day we brought home Nicky. That was like four years ago! We purchased it at Walmart for $15. It has a 2.5 gallon storage capacity which I think is the perfect size. It is big enough that we only have to refill it every week or so, but it isn't too big that the water gets moldy or gross by that time.
They sell the same dispenser for food as well, but that just didn't work for us. Nicky learned that if he dug in the food the pieces would overflow all over the floor so that he could pick and choose the flavors he liked best while leaving the rest for mommy and daddy to pick up. haha. Needless to say, those containers did not last long at our house.
The mat we recently got on sale at Ross. I think it was like $2 or $3. Nicky and Oliver must be related. Oli likes to play in the water bowl. The cat is terrified of baths and running water, but he will sit for hours sticking his hand in the water and watching the ripples. Oh the life of a cat. If only we were all so easily satisfied. haha. This mat gives some protection from the splashing. I still have to soak up water now and again with a towel, but that's better than having one big puddle.
The painting at the bottom was what really launched this whole design. We found it on a clearance rack at Ross for $3! It was exactly what I was looking for to put in this area! I wish that Ross had things for sale on their website so that I could link this for you, but since every store carries different items, they don't.
After finding the dog painting, I began searching for something for kitten. Even though he thinks he is a dog, I didn't want to leave him out! I found his paining on Etsy and just knew it was excatly what the wall needed! I was so excited when I got it out of the mailbox because the grey and golden yellow matched the dog's painting exactly!
Finally, I added some pictures of the boys in frames that I got at the dollar store, believe it or not. And, voila!
I love how this turned out! I love that it is simple yet really draws your eye up the length of the wall. I think it looks a million times better than just a random water dish in the middle of the room.
What do you do to make your pet area look better than a bowl of food and water?
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Sunday, March 23, 2014
One Sick Puppy
There is nothing worse than hearing your child scream from across the house...even if that child has four legs and a tail. And then, it may even be a little worse because they have absolutely no way of telling you what is wrong.
Little Binx came running into the bedroom last night screaming at the top of his lungs. He jumped up into my arms, shaking.
I had no idea what happened! He wasn't limping, there was no blood, I checked for cuts or bites under his fur...nothing! He wrapped his arms around my neck and held me tight while he shook.
I had no idea what happened! He wasn't limping, there was no blood, I checked for cuts or bites under his fur...nothing! He wrapped his arms around my neck and held me tight while he shook.
I ended up taking a long, hot shower with him like we used to do when he was a puppy. He hates water, but the heat seemed to relax him and calm his nerves a bit.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht77B5FwlfWXKFis2MosdSkOZc1Yjz-ZeD2_o7fNcMQ_y0JdjegZhbyaLRszgMAdFeGH7n55QQdHrIgL-qGMnUoNHkfPMTrdCrXjP2bEw7EQzOlNRZUxACcOFc4Qh8547TdhcrHRFnXS4/s640/PicsArt_1395552251339.jpg)
I gave him a little pro-biotic yogurt last night so hopefully he will be able to go potty today. Yogurt is his favorite thing, another thing that dates back to his puppy-hood. I'll probably stop and get some pumpkin for him on the way home, I've read that helps dogs to go the bathroom too.
He tossed and turned all night. I left him out of the kennel when I left for work this morning so that hopefully he can curl up on the couch and sleep while we are gone.
I love all my boys equally, but Binx will always have a special place in my heart. He was my first dog as an adult and I have had this little one since he was a teeny tiny four week old puppy.
It is so scary when your pet, or anyone you love for that matter, is hurt or sick. I hate feeling helpless and I wish I could just take it all away! Poor baby. I am glad he is feeling a little better today.
He is always so adorable after his baths, so I wanted to write a little post for you so I could share a few of these cute photos of two of my favorite boys!
It is so crazy that animals choose you as much as you choose them. I can't imagine how different my life would be if I had never gotten my boys. It is so hard to explain this to people that don't have pets. My granddad and my mom tell me to "get rid of my livestock" all the time. I don't think my granddad has ever owned a pet in his life, so he just doesn't get how a dog or cat could mean so much to Josh and I. Pets are such a huge part of your life, they really do become your little furry children.
I'll keep you posted on how little one is doing when I get home from work.
As for other news...
This last week was my Spring Break at school. Unfortunately, the one project that I really got caught up on was sleeping! I was able to knock a few other things off of the to do list, but not as many as I had hoped for. Oh well, when your body tells you something, you have to listen...especially when it is telling you that you need sleep!
It is so crazy that animals choose you as much as you choose them. I can't imagine how different my life would be if I had never gotten my boys. It is so hard to explain this to people that don't have pets. My granddad and my mom tell me to "get rid of my livestock" all the time. I don't think my granddad has ever owned a pet in his life, so he just doesn't get how a dog or cat could mean so much to Josh and I. Pets are such a huge part of your life, they really do become your little furry children.
I'll keep you posted on how little one is doing when I get home from work.
As for other news...
This last week was my Spring Break at school. Unfortunately, the one project that I really got caught up on was sleeping! I was able to knock a few other things off of the to do list, but not as many as I had hoped for. Oh well, when your body tells you something, you have to listen...especially when it is telling you that you need sleep!
This week is the start of Birthday Week. My 23rd birthday is next Monday the 31st. Josh and I went out for an early birthday dinner and date night last night at the Cheesecake Factory, courtesy of a gift card from my mom. Thanks mom! After dinner we went mini golfing at this new place called Ohana Mini Golf. It was SO fun! I am horrible at mini golf--any golfing actually--but we had a blast! It is fun to just go out and fool around and be silly. I like doing stuff like that.
Josh and I are both working today, but are planning to check out a new church tonight. So, I will definitely let you know how that goes! Until next time, I hope you have a fabulous Sunday afternoon! And, if you remember to, please send up a little prayer for baby Binx today that he feels better. :]
Josh and I are both working today, but are planning to check out a new church tonight. So, I will definitely let you know how that goes! Until next time, I hope you have a fabulous Sunday afternoon! And, if you remember to, please send up a little prayer for baby Binx today that he feels better. :]
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