postage rates are going up Monday! May 8, 2009

Got any 42 cent stamps lying around?

Remember when typewriter keyboards used to have the cent symbol? I’m sure there’s a way to get one but I don’t know what it is.

Yes, I have 42 cent stamps lying around. And I intend to use them! Cause I never mailed school photos of my little girl to at least 2/3 of my loved ones. Cause I suck like that.   No I don’t, my busy life does.

I for one have never been able to stand using the old rate supplemented with penny stamps. Too messy…

Tomorrow’s the day, all y’all bill procrastinators and never writers, cause it’s going up to 44 Monday. So writ ‘em and send ‘em!

And they quit issuing forever stamps, I heard the lady at the Post Office say to the lady ahead of me… but then I got in the other line and the other cashier slipped me forty more. Shweet! Not exactly confederate bonds or anything… but you know. It’s the little things.

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Pink Quartz Minerals Makeup December 8, 2008

Doree really set me up.

I found her on the Etsy site– pinkquartzminerals.etsy.com.

I wrote her a question via Etsy and she responded nearly instantaneously. She answered my many additional questions quickly and courteously.

She mixed me up something custom but did not raise her extremely reasonable price. Her prices are great, she shipped very promptly, she offers samples, and her colors are GORGEOUS.

And I was very, very satisfied with my little custom color. It was for a costume, and I felt as gorgeous as one can feel when one’s skin is, well, it’s not easy being green, but she made it easy, I felt so pretty and the makeup was so light I hated to take it off. And I was GREEN. And the person I was working with who routinely does stage makeup was amazed.

I am also very satisfied with the lovely colors of eyeshadow and the bronzer color I chose. She suggested some foundations and I can’t wait to try those out.

And it washes off so easily and beautifully with soap and water.

Doree, you are the best.

pinkquartzminerals.com

Ecco Bella, Beauty Without Cruelty, drugstore.com, and Lush November 10, 2008

I can’t believe I just did this. I just spent 45 bucks on Ecco Bella’s anti aging day cream and eye nutrients cream. But if I’d paid full price it would have been sixty four bucks– plus shipping.

Vitacost.com had a deal where you could get both for around forty dollars, their standard shipping is only $4.99.

I have Ecco Bella Eyeliner and Mascara, and I shit you not, their mascara is the BEST EVER. Plus it comes with a little mirror right on the tube, how AWESOME is that?

I’ve been needing an eye cream BAD. Concealer settles into the tiny wrinkles around my eyes– which would probably be invisible if I didn’t use concealer, but if I don’t use concealer I look like death. I actually scared myself the other day, caught unawares as I peered into the mirror to begin my morning primp.

The beautiful boy at The Body Shop in Atlanta told me the solution was a good eye cream, and my mom told me the solution is a concealer brush. So now I’ll have both.

The daily moisturizer I use– Beauty Without Cruelty with Alpha Hydroxy– well I ADORE it and I’ll probably buy some more of it but BWC AHA does not have SPF in it at all. It’s better, actually, for places that get scaly– not eczema, just trouble spots, you don’t need me to share with you which spots I’m talking about, believe me. It also seems to reduce the appearance of cellulite (okay that’s a hint, right?)  

And LORD, I thought BWC was expensive!

But there’s an AWESOME sale on BWC on drugstore.com and you can get free shipping if you order enough stuff.

I usually buy my skincare stuff with joint account funds– that is, money  my husband and I both contribute for shared bills. But the Ecco Bella, even with the huge savings, I just felt too guilty, and I bought it out of my own little nest egg.

On to drugstore.com… free shipping if you order enough, though their Peaceful Patchouli deodorant is 1/3 more expensive (6.29 or something) than on amazon.com (4.15 or something), I think the shipping savings makes up for it.

And one last frivolous purchase– in a strange twist since my extremely redneck and intolerant 20′s and early 30′s, I now love anything patchouli or sandalwood. But my little girl hates Kiss My Face Peaceful Patchouli Moisture Soap.  One day she came to me just after washing her hands and I said you smell good. She said, I used the soap in the green bottle you had on your sink. That was the remnants of a bottle of Lush’s Tramp, watered down to stretch out what was left for hand washing.

My little’un has complained so many times– do I HAVE to use Kiss My Face?– that I determined to buy some more Tramp. It is vegan, although the last time I looked it does contain SLS  unfortunately. But how often do we use it, and just on our hands… I went ahead and got her some, with my own funds from my own little nest egg as well. The shipping for it was slightly cheaper on Amazon… Lush has free shipping for orders over $100 but I don’t see myself spending $100 on anything at all any time soon.

I have on my wish list on amazon a book about make-at-home organic skin care. I may grab that some time soon. Wonder if what I make out of there will be cheaper or have results as nice as the stupidly expensive stuff I buy now?

Also I feel bad about adding to landfill problems. Those products are sold in teeny tiny little containers, so you run out quick, and have to toss the container, which may or may not be recyclable… I need to get that book. I will.

After I enjoy my Ecco Bella, BWC and Lush…

$5.00 Shoe Carnival Coupon expires 11/11/08 November 10, 2008

I’m giving away a $5.00 Shoe Carnival Coupon Expires 11/11/08 from East Montgomery freebie newspaper section:

“An additional $5.00 off your total purchase of 39.98 or higher before taxes” at Shoe Carnival. Plus they’re doing buy one get one half off, you can use the coupon on top of that.

I need more shoes like I need a hole in the head.

That’s a lie! I always need more shoes! But with Christmas coming up, not just now. I don’t think so anyway… h’mmm…

Email me or comment here if you’d like it. I also posted it to an email group for moms, since my friend is hoping to start a coupon exchange there and I want to be a sport cause she is such a good sport.

First one to ask and then get it from me is  the first one to get it!

Get 10 from Alabama Department of Public Health September 16, 2008

Get Ten Get Ready for Emergencies

I really like this site. I may have mentioned it before– but it’s Hurricane and Tornado season down heah and while our chances here are pretty rare, things do happen– house fires, floods, whatever. So I am working on this. Yesterday I bought two more crank flashlights, on clearance, four bucks. Sorry, got the last two they had. I also want a waterproof and fireproof safe we can put important papers and valuables in and just grab and go, if anyone’s seen any lately would you tell me what you’ve found out? Same with a big fat hard drive we can store all our most important stuff on– you, know, pictures of the kids, our entire Tom Jones and Steely Dan and Rush discographies, that sort of thing– and just unplug and take with as we run out of the house. I’m working on it. Anyone see any good deals on any of these things, or have any great ideas, let me know.

Tofu September 16, 2008

Tofu for breakfast lunch and dinner? Not good.

Tofu sometimes? Pretty good.

I need to keep track of my tofu use in my vegan cooking. Once I figured out I could freeze it to make it a better consistency for my famous tofucken salad (the u has a rock and roll umlaut but I don’t know how to type that character quickly), use it as an egg substitute in many delicious baked goods, and as a base for creamy pasta sauces, I couldn’t get enough. But I have cut back, knowing that whole food is a much better plan and that sugar, white wheat flour, and animal fats are much worse for varying reasons.

I DO NOT do it all the time. And the article I listened to on Mercola.com http://products.mercola.com/inner-circle/?source=nl doesn’t convince me that it is bad for you in moderation. The cancers suffered by populations that traditionally eat tofu… those folks don’t eat all that much tofu– because they know we don’t need insane amounts of protein!– and their cancers, especially in industrialized or industrializing nations, can be traced to so many other variables, like pollutions.

I have dropped coffee again… I drink a cup of plain soymilk with chocolate syrup instead, not good for my insulin/fungal issues, I’m sure, but it fills that empty spot that needs something hot and dark in the morning (and I am NOT talking about doing my husband, either. Please!).

Anything in moderation? No biggie. Well, other than crystal meth or something. Anything and lots of it all the time to the exclusion of all other options? Askin’ for it.

are you freakin’ kidding me? September 16, 2008

As Ike rolled in, I REFUSED to buy gas. The ol’ gas-guzzling SUV– which, may I remind you, is a small SUV, only slightly larger V6 than my husband’s Sonata has, and is not my dream vehicle, a huge black Expedition– was at 1/2 tank. I try not to let it go below 1/2 tank, if payday is here or recent– but I was darned if I was giving in to hysteria or price gouging.

Before Fay I got my gas when it was 3.40-something a gallon, and reminded my husband to get his and his was 3.57. This is ridiculous. We are working earnestly at making our home more efficient via solar and smart consumption… we are, thanks to dear friends and neighbors (comparatively speaking) Courtney and her family reducing commuting by carrying each other’s children back and forth to and from the places mine and hers both go, and I am even more determined that this site shall be a clearing house for making each other’s lives easier by identifying opportunities to swap errands, recycle common household items, vote with our wallets, and share info about bargains.

I’m down to 1/4 tank. I am playing chicken as long as I possibly can. I also reduce errands by refusing (ordinarily) to go anywhere on my days off. I do my shopping at lunch hours. It doesn’t make for a very restful lunch, which leaves me exhausted and grouchy some times, but that is the tradeoff. Vegan cooking helps too– meat farming accounts for more greenhouse emissions than our cars! I promise you. I can document, but don’t make me. So, can I pick you up anything at Wal Mart today?

The most wonderful time… (vegan candy) August 30, 2008

No, not Christmas. Not even back to school. Fall! I am so thankful August is giving up the ghost, as it has sucked, as it does every year, except for the birthdays of a few loved ones.

Around or just before Labor Day it sinks in that FALL IS COMING! I never want to spring clean. As the heat — or at least the season, if not the heat — relaxes its grip I start wanting the house to look nice and to ask people to come over every single weekend. The days go so fast, the sunlight gets scarce (especially because I work until SIX!) and I want to make the most of every moment.

So that’s a lot of very general going on to get to this one thing I want to say.

Are large quantities of balls or chunks of supersugars, high fructose corn syrup and artificial color ever good? I know. But Halloween is coming.

I was watching Ninja Warriors with my kid today– girls were competing, fun! And kicking ass! And while I don’t remember seeing a Skittles commercial I suddenly HAD to have Skittles. Wonder how that happened? I haven’t had a Skittle in EVER. But I used to couldn’t go to the movies without a huge box each of Skittles and M&M’s along with my tub of the-greasier-the-better popcorn.

Now, this blog is not meant to be a vegan blog or a vegetarian blog at all. That is a very personal choice each person has to make for themselves. I try to be low key about my eating habits so I’ll still have friends (although when people remark on how much weight I’ve lost I do have to look modestly at the ground, sigh, and say ‘well, when I gave up…’).

So no vegan activism here. I prefer to limit my activism to cooking delicious treats for my family and friends. The blog is meant solely to help us, including myself, be smart with our time and our money. So, one part of being smart is knowing what you’re spending your money on and what you’re putting into  your kids’ bodies and your own. Knowing if candy is vegan is, well, marginally useful isn’t it?

That said, so then I had to go find out if Skittles are vegan.

I knew the answer– gelatin, ‘that comes from horses’ hooves’ I always tell my kids. 

Actually it comes from cows and pigs’ skin, bones, etc. I know that.

Jell-0 has always grossed me out, because no matter what color and flavor it still bore a faint resemblance to the wiggly stocks my dad used to boil down from meat carcasses/bones for soup. Although certain ‘congealed salads’ involving Cool Whip and mini-marshmallows and gelatin are one thing I really, really miss…

Anyway.

Skittles aren’t vegan. DAMMIT. But here’s a list of candies that are, from petakids.com– I’ll put a star by the ones I like. Heh.

(Oh and you might want to steer clear of cetyl palmitate– whales– and stearic acid– sometimes from pets euthanized in shelters. Sorry. Will you still give me candy when I come to your door?)

Guess I better write to the people who make Skittles and BEG them to use something plant based so I can have them again… and learn how to make homeade vegan candies!

Candy

Airheads taffy
Atkins peanut butter bars
Blow Pops
Brach’s Cinnamon Hard Candy
Charms lollipops
Chick-o-Sticks
*Cracker Jack
Cry Babies
Dem Bones
Dots
Dum-Dums
Fireballs
Goldenberg’s Peanut Chews
*Hubba Bubba bubblegum
Jolly Ranchers (lollipops and hard candy)
Jujubees
*Jujyfruits
*Lemonheads
Mambas
***Mary Janes (regular and peanut butter kisses)
***Now and Later
Pez
Ring Pop lollipops
*Smarties (U.S. Brand)
Sour Patch Kids
**Super Bubble
Swedish Fish
Sweet Tarts
*Tropical Source mini chocolate bags
Twizzlers
Zotz

Snacks

Bean dip (make sure it’s lard-free)
*Cracker Jack
Fritos
Lance’s Toasty Crackers
Lay’s Stax
Lay’s WOW! potato chips
Microwave popcorn (minus the real butter flavor)
Munchos
Peanuts, sunflower seeds, almonds, cashews, and Pistachios
Pretzels
Salsa
Skittles’ Mints
Tostitos
Trail mix
Triscuits
*Wheat Thins

Safe and Cheap Household Hygiene August 29, 2008

From Ideal Bite, August 28. I love that blog, I do. And I get their email updates. Wish I could make my email updates pretty like that.

“Wanna conquer high cleaning-product costs?

The Bite

Drop the bed-sheet toga, and pick up a bottle of white vinegar. Uber-disinfecting and cheap as Hades, DIY vinegar cleaners really do the trick, so you can move onto conquering bigger things, such as, say, the Roman Empire.

The Benefits

Costs less than a handmade olive-leaf crown. We found a 32-ounce bottle of white vinegar at the supermarket for just over a buck; the same size bottle of all-purpose cleaner was four times that (and you’ll dilute the vinegar for most purposes).

Treating kids like emperors. Conventional cleaning products are responsible for about 10% of toxic-exposure calls to poison control.

Not stabbing our rivers in the back. High concentrations of detergents were found in 69% of waterways in a 2002 nationwide study.

Smelling better than an ancient Roman. The vinegar smell disappears when it dries; it even acts as a mild deodorizer.”

Not Peanuts! August 23, 2008

The small number of people with peanut allergy sufficient to kill them is horrifying enough. I dutifully kept my child away from peanut butter until she was pretty big.  

So then when she had such horrible diarrhea and/or yeast rash pretty much her entire diapered life a couple of friends told me to look into wheat intolerance and dairy intolerance. I have a friend who suffered from nearly deadly celiac disease as a kid, thank goodness they figured it out. So, I’m convinced.

If I were a medical scientist, which I am not, (maybe some day medical school will be a possibility, I would LOVE IT) I would fully expect to find that most people have a low level intolerance to these two foods that is not sufficient to be cause for inquiry but exacerbates if not causes (I believe causes) immune and autoimmune problems for them whether early or later in life. Fibromyalgia, athritis, athsma, sinus and ear problems, problems of the gut… I know it is anyone’s guess how the complexities of genetics, environment, diet and stress/emotions work on us to make us chronically or acutely ill.

But I believe those two things — and now corn and high fructose corn syrup, lord, something else to worry about– according to The Onion ‘High Fructose Corn Syrup Contamination Forces FDA to Recall All of Nation’s Food, hee hee!– anyway, I believe they’re not good for most of us unless we happen to come from a gene pool that had plenty of them thousands and thousands of years ago.

So over time but sort of tangentially to that, I became (almost) vegan. It is just a given that the horrifyingly cruel, unsanitary and downright nasty ways that meat and dairy animals are raised and processed, and the nature of certain poisons to be stored in animal fats, mean that we’re asking for it when we eat them.

Pesticides, antibiotics, e coli or salmonella, mad cow disease– I know that plants are grown with pesticides and are sometimes contaminated but they store much, much less less of those industrial and agricultural poisons, and have a much lower ocurrence of brain eating fungi or bacteria.   

Peanut butter is sacred at my house. It’s something I (vegan) and my kids (meat and dairy and the more the better, because I didn’t become vegan until very recently) can agree on. It’s full of protein and it’s delicious and we all love peanut butter cookies.

Woop, not so fast.

Dr. Mercola says “My favorite nuts are pecans, walnuts, almonds and hazelnuts. I normally avoid peanuts because they are one of the most pesticide-laden foods you can eat. Most peanuts are also contaminated with aflatoxin, a carcinogenic mold.”

This is from his article “Ten Healthiest Foods Under $1″  http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/08/23/ten-healthiest-foods-under-1.aspx?source=nl

So I checked around and found that organic is actually worse for the aflatoxin, and worst of all is peanuts that sit in storage for a long time and/or then get ground into peanut butter in the store. Not that I buy organic– I’m such a redneck, and so smug in my conviction that plant proteins are safer even if they are raised with traditional pesticides etc., that I buy the Wal Mart brand.

Sigh. There’s more information along with other links here:

http://www.deliciousorganics.com/Controversies/peanuts.htm

Looks like I’ll be doing Arrowhead Mills organic peanut butter or hazelnut, almond, or cashew butter.

Yet another way to spend more money… but as David Steinman in Safe Trip to Eden says, think of it as your charity, and I say think of all the money and heartache I’ll save if I can somehow improve my and my family’s health in the long run.

So if y’all are goin’ to the health food store, will you check prices for me, or just grab me a jar (preferably in a container recyclable ’round heah, #1 or #2 plastic) and I’ll pay you back?